A 21-year-old has become the latest Ugandan TikToker to be sent to prison after creating a video that was said to insult PresiΒdent Yoweri Museveni.
Emmanuel Nabugodi appeared for the sentencing on Monday after pleading guilty last week to four charges, including hate speech and spreading malicious information about the president.
He was sentenced to 32 months in jail.
Nabugodi, known for sharing comedy content to his 20,000 followers, made a film of a mock trial of the head of state. In it he called for Museveniβs public flogging.
Rights groups have frequently complained about restrictions on the freedom of speech in the country, alleging that the president β in power since 1986 β does not tolerate criticism.
In July, Edward Awebwa was handed a six-year sentence on similar charges to Nabugodi regarding a TikTok post. Three others are awaiting trial over conΒtent on the social media app.
When handing down NabugoΒdiβs sentence, Stellah Maris Amabilis, the chief magistrate of the court in Entebbe, said he was not remorseful and the sentence would help prevent social media attacks against people inΒcluding the person of the president.
βThis court hopes that by the time the convict leaves prison, he would have learnt that abusing people in the name of getting content is bad,β she said.
She added that he had the right to appeal against the sentence within 14 days.
He was convicted under a conΒtroversial amendment in 2022 to the Computer Misuse Act.
βBBC
