Edward Awebwa, a 24-year-old man from Uganda has been given a six-year prison term for using TikTok to disseminate hate speech and false information targeting President Yoweri Museveni and his entire family.
Chief Magistrate Stellah-Maris Amabilisi of the Entebbe Chief Magistrate Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday. Edward Awebwa, operating under the account “Save Media Uganda,” was arrested after posting a video that insulted the president, his wife, and his son.
According to Luke Owoyesigyire, the Deputy Police Spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan, Awebwa shared videos ridiculing the president from February to March 2024.
This sentencing is part of a broader effort by security agencies to crack down on individuals using social media to criticise high-ranking government officials.
Awebwa is among several content creators imprisoned under the Computer Misuse Act of 2022 for spreading what authorities deem to be malicious information and hate speech.
Human rights activists have challenged this legislation in the Constitutional Court, arguing that it suppresses free speech.
Under the Computer Misuse Act, offensive communication is defined as the intentional and repeated use of electronic communication to disrupt or attempt to disrupt someone’s peace, quiet, or right to privacy, without a legitimate purpose. Offenders can face fines, up to one year in jail, or both.
Nancy Mbamalu
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