- Makerere student Elson Tumwine was sentenced to 2 months in prison.
- Charged over a TikTok video criticising President Museveni and Speaker Anita Among.
- Pleaded guilty under Uganda’s controversial Computer Misuse Act.
- Case highlights growing crackdown on online freedom of expression.
A Ugandan court has sentenced a final-year Makerere University student, Elson Tumwine, to two months in prison for making “offensive” remarks against President Yoweri Museveni and Parliament Speaker Anita Among on TikTok.
Tumwine appeared before Grade One Magistrate Tibayeita Edgar Tusiime at Entebbe Magistrate’s Court, where he pleaded guilty to violating the Computer Misuse Act after posting a video in May that sharply criticised Uganda’s top leaders.
In the video, Tumwine alleged: “According to Anita Among and President Museveni, he has apologised to the Baganda, behaving as if that is the only part of the country he offended. Museveni burned a full train of human beings in the Mukura, Teso region; a thousand people were killed and dumped in a swamp opposite Soroti University by Rwandan soldiers who came to help him.”
Prosecutors said his comments were intended to “ridicule, incite hostility, or demean” the President and the Speaker.
Although the offence carries serious penalties, the court gave Tumwine a lighter sentence due to his guilty plea and expression of remorse.
This makes Tumwine the sixth Ugandan TikToker to be jailed under similar charges, as authorities increase their monitoring of digital platforms.
Uganda’s Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act has been widely criticised by human rights groups, including Amnesty International, for being used to suppress dissent. The law has seen several youth and content creators arrested, especially those using platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and X.
Tumwine’s case has reignited debate about freedom of speech in Uganda ahead of the 2026 elections. Human Rights Watch and other international observers have urged the Ugandan government to repeal laws that criminalise peaceful expression.
The issue has also sparked conversation in Kenya, where the public remains watchful of similar legislation potentially affecting digital speech.
