Ugandan TikToker Sentenced for Insulting President

Emmanuel Nabugodi, a 21-year-old Ugandan TikTok influencer, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for creating a video that mocked President Yoweri Museveni, which included a call for public flogging. Nabugodi pleaded guilty to charges of hate speech and spreading false information under the controversial 2022 Computer Misuse Act, which has been criticized for suppressing free speech in Uganda. Chief Magistrate Stellah Maris Amabilis stated that the sentence aims to deter social media attacks on individuals, including the president, and emphasized that Nabugodi showed no remorse. The ruling comes amid a pattern of similar sentences for social media content critical of the government, with another TikToker, Edward Awebwa, receiving a six-year sentence earlier this year. Rights groups have condemned the law as a means for the Museveni regime to stifle dissent and intimidate critics. Nabugodi has the right to appeal his sentence within 14 days.