A sixth-year student from Makerere University, Elson Tumwine, has been sentenced to two months in prison after pleading guilty to charges of offensive communication against Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
Tumwine admitted to creating and sharing a manipulated TikTok video in May 2025, which falsely depicted Speaker Among criticizing President Museveni’s public apology to the Buganda Kingdom.
The content was deemed offensive and in violation of Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act.
The 23-year-old student had been reported missing for nearly a month while undertaking his internship in Hoima, sparking concerns over his whereabouts.
He later resurfaced and appeared before Grade One Magistrate Tibayeita Edgar Tusiime at the Entebbe Magistrate’s Court, where he was formally charged.
According to the prosecution, led by Ahebwa Byaruhanga Paul, the video portrayed the President as favoring the Buganda region while ignoring other communities.
Tumwine also made serious accusations, claiming Museveni was involved in past atrocities, including the burning of civilians in Mukura and mass killings in the Teso region allegedly carried out with assistance from Rwandan soldiers.
The prosecution maintained that the video was not only misleading but intended to ridicule and incite hostility against both President Museveni and Speaker Among. They described the video as a deliberate act of misinformation with potential to stir public unrest.
In delivering the judgment on Monday, August 4, the magistrate acknowledged Tumwine’s remorse and the fact that he did not waste the court’s time, which influenced the decision to issue a relatively light sentence of two months.
Tumwine becomes the sixth TikTok user in Uganda to be convicted on similar charges of offensive communication aimed at the President, his family, or top government officials.
Uganda has witnessed a sharp increase in prosecutions over online content, particularly targeting those critical of government leadership.
While authorities justify the crackdown as necessary to preserve national security and protect public figures, human rights groups and free speech advocates have raised alarms over the shrinking space for dissent and expression in the digital space.
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