TikToker sentenced to 24 years in prison for insulting president, first family

A Ugandan court has sentenced 24-year-old Edward Awebwa, a TikTok content creator, to 24 years in prison for insulting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a video posted on the platform.
He was sentenced four years each on six charges. But the sentences will run concurrently. So he will spend a total of six years in prison.
Awebwa pleaded guilty to the charges, which included hate speech and spreading “misleading and malicious” information, but showed no remorse, according to the presiding magistrate, Stella Maris Amabilis.
“The accused deserves a punishment which will enable him to learn from his past so that next time he will respect the person of the president, the first lady, and the first son,” Magistrate Amabilis stated.
Awebwa received a six-year sentence for each of the four charges, to be served concurrently. The case has drawn criticism from rights groups, who accuse Ugandan authorities of human rights violations and suppressing freedom of expression.
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“This is a clear indication that the government is intent on silencing dissenting voices,” said Ugandan human rights lawyer Michael Aboneka. “Unless they are saying that they are going to arrest every Ugandan for criticizing them at every point.”
Awebwa’s sentence has sparked concerns about the broader law on hate speech, which rights groups argue is designed to suppress online freedom of speech. While the constitutional court ruled a section of the law penalizing “offensive communication” unconstitutional, Awebwa was charged under the broader law still under challenge.
The case is not isolated, as award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija and activist Stella Nyanzi have faced similar charges for criticizing the president and his family. Rukirabashaija fled to Germany after claiming torture, while Nyanzi is in exile.
President Museveni, in power since 1986, signed the law against hate speech in 2022, which critics see as a tool to silence opposition voices. The sentence handed down to Awebwa has raised concerns about the shrinking space for free speech in Uganda.
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