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Makerere Student Sentenced to 2 Months Over...

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Makerere Student Sentenced to 2 Months Over Anti‑Museveni TikTok Clip

ENS National Desk | Kampala | August 6, 2025


A sixth-year **Makerere University student**, **Elson Tumwine**, has been sentenced to **two months in prison** for sharing a TikTok video deemed offensive toward President Yoweri Museveni and Speaker Anita Among. Tumwine had previously disappeared while interning in Hoima before reappearing in court.

ENS Human Resource Poster

Judge’s comment: Magistrate Tibayeta Edgar Tusiime noted that Tumwine had pleaded guilty promptly and asked for forgiveness—factors that prompted a lenient sentence.

Offensive Communication Charges

The video—posted in May—alleged that President Museveni had sincerely apologized only to Buganda while ignoring atrocities in the Teso region, including burning of trains and mass killings. The court found the remarks constituted “offensive communication” under Uganda’s amended Computer Misuse Act. Prosecutors argued the content aimed to ridicule and incite hostility against both the President and the Speaker.

Precedent in TikTok Convictions

Tumwine becomes the sixth TikTok user

  • Emmanuel Nabugodi – 32 months imprisonment for hate speech and malicious information. [Monitor, TRT Afrika]
  • Edward Awebwa – Six-year sentence for insulting President Museveni and his family. [Monitor, BusinessWorld Africa]

Free Speech vs. Digital Regulation

Human rights advocates warn that enforcement of the Computer Misuse Act has intensified crackdowns on dissent and digital expression—raising concerns about freedom of speech in the digital age. Critics cite unfair targeting of individuals sharing political views or satire via social media platforms.

ENS News — Covering digital rights and civic freedoms in Uganda.

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