Two people have been arr3sted for allegedly insulting Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, First Lady Janet Museveni, and their son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba on TikTok.
David Ssengozi, 21, also known as Lucky Choice, and Isaiah Ssekagiri, 28, are being held in Kigo prison until their first court appearance on Wednesday.
They are accused of hate speech and spreading false information about the first family and musicians connected to the ruling party.
Both men denied the charges in court.
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They are charged along with 19-year-old Julius Tayebwa, who was already in court for the same reasons.
Prosecutors say they posted videos on TikTok that were meant to insult and create hostility towards the first family and others.
The judge agreed to keep them in custody because police are still investigating.
In September, a police spokesperson warned that insulting the president “fountain of honour” is a cr!me and mentioned Lucky Choice as someone they were looking into. It is unclear which specific post led to their arr#st, but a video titled “My First Enemies,” shared in April, included explicit !nsults towards the first family.
In July, another man was sentenced to six years in pr!son for insulting the president in a TikTok video. He had confessed and asked for forgiveness.
The Ugandan government has faced criticism for limiting people’s ability to voice their opinions about state actions.
A US report last year also accused Uganda of restricting internet freedom.
Human rights groups continue to condemn the Ugandan authorities for violating human rights and freedom of expression.
For instance, in 2022, a well-known author was charged for making negative comments about the president and his son on Twitter.
He ended up fleeing to Germany after spending a month in ja!l, claiming he had been t0rtured.
