TikToker jailed for 32 months for insulting Uganda's president

Emmanuel Nabugodi, a 21-year-old Ugandan TikToker, has been sentenced to 32 months in prison for creating a video that mocked President Yoweri Museveni.

Nabugodi, who has 20,000 followers and typically shares comedy content, was convicted on charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information after making a mock trial video in which he called for Museveni’s public flogging.

This sentence follows a controversial 2022 law criminalizing online content deemed to degrade others, particularly government figures.

Rights groups have criticized Uganda's use of this law to stifle free expression, with Nabugodi joining others who have faced similar charges.