By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Emmanuel Nabugodi, a Tiktoker, has been found guilty of insulting and “spreading hate speech” against the president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni.
The 21-year-old was convicted for calling for the public flogging of the head of state on TikTok social media platform.
He created a video depicting a mock Museveni trial and could face up to seven years in prison. During his appearance in court on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody at the notorious Kigo maximum security prison near Kampala until November 18, when he will be sentenced.
Prosecutors have asked the Entebbe court to impose a seven-year sentence, state attorney Paul Aheebwa Byamukama told newsmen.
The 21-year-old is the fourth Ugandan to appear in court and be remanded in custody in the last two days for insulting the nation’s leader and his family.
In July, another 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Museveni.
Since his birth, Museveni is the only president Nabugodi has known.
Museveni, 80, has ruled the East African country since 1986 when he toppled President Milton Obote.
Award-winning author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was arrested in late 2021 and charged with insulting Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the defence chief who is being tipped to succeed his father.
Rukirabashaija was awarded the 2021 PEN Pinter Prize for an International Writer of Courage, which is presented annually to a writer who has been persecuted for speaking out about their beliefs.
He said he was tortured during his month-long detention in Uganda and fled into exile in Germany.
In 2020, four members of a comedy troupe were jailed when they released a video sarcastically calling on Ugandans to pray for their leaders, including Museveni, the police chief and the head of prisons.
African leaders have been criticized for lack of tolerance to divergent views.
Earlier in the year, a Tanzanian portrait artist was sentenced to two years imprisonment or a fine of $2,000 (£1,600) after he was accused of burning a photo of President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Shadrack Chaula was found guilty of cybercrimes.
