Edward Awebwa, a 24-year-old TikTok user, has been sentenced to six years in prison for posting a video that insulted President Yoweri Museveni and his family, ForeMediaTV reports.
Chief Magistrate Stellah-Maris Amabilisi found Awebwa, the owner of the TikTok account “Save Media Uganda,” guilty at the Entebbe Chief Magistrate Court. The aforementioned film, directed at President Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their offspring, had coarse and tribalistic comments that were thought to jeopardize the harmony of the first family.
Deputy Police Spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan, Luke Owoyesigyire, stated that the offending videos circulated between February and March 2024. This legal action underscores Uganda’s intensified measures to control online criticism of high-ranking officials and protect their public image.
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Awebwa was charged under the Computer Misuse Act of 2022, which penalizes the “willful and repeated use of electronic communication to disturb or attempt to disturb the peace, quiet, or privacy of any person without legitimate communication.” The law allows for penalties including fines or imprisonment for up to one year.
Awebwa’s sentencing is part of a broader crackdown by Ugandan authorities on social media critics, with several content creators facing similar charges for spreading “malicious information” and “hate speech.”
