Two Ugandans have been jailed for reportedly disrespecting President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the president’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, on the TikTok video sharing platform.
Magistrate Stella Maris Amabilis remanded 21-year-old David Ssengozi, also known as Lucky Choice, and 28-year-old Isaiah Ssekagiri to Kigo prison until their initial court appearance on Wednesday.
They are accused of using hate speech and spreading false information about the first family and musicians affiliated with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
The two appeared in court on Monday and disputed the charges.
They are jointly charged with Julius Tayebwa, 19, who was previously brought before court and placed in prison for the identical charges.
Prosecutors allege that they posted information on TikTok aimed to “ridicule humiliate, belittle, and encourage hostility” against the first family and others. The magistrate allowed their custody after police stated that they were still investigating the matter.
“You will come back on November 13, when the case will come up for mention. You are remanded at Kigo prison till then,” the magistrate ordered.
In September, police spokesman Rusoke Kituuma cautioned that disrespecting the president, whom he dubbed the “fountain of honour,” was a crime.
He referenced a TikToker user named Lucky Choice, whom he stated they were investigating.
The Tiktoker was eventually arrested. It is unclear which post resulted in the arrest, but a TikTok movie titled My First Enemies, posted in April on the LuckyChoice70 page, used sexually explicit language to attack the first family.
In July, a 24-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison after disrespecting the president and the first family in a TikTok video. He had admitted fault and asked for pardon.
It comes as the administration has been chastised for limiting citizens’ freedom to criticise actions taken by the state or its representatives.
In a study released last year, the US government accused Uganda of impeding internet freedom by using criminal penalties.
Rights groups also frequently criticise Ugandan authorities for abuses of human rights and freedom of expression.
In 2022, award-winning Ugandan author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was accused with two counts of “offensive communication” for making disparaging statements about the president and his son on Twitter.
He escaped the nation to Germany after a month in jail, where he claimed to have been tortured.
