KAMPALA– A 24 year Old tik-toker has been sentenced to spend 6 years in Luzira prison for recording and uploading videos that ridicule President Museveni , his wife Janet Kataha and their son Gen .Muhoozi Kainerugaba .
Awebwa Edward, a self-employed resident of Nsavu in Nama sub-county- Mukono district was remanded last week after he pleaded guilty and convicted on 4 counts of Hate speech and spreading malicious information contrary to the Computer misuse Act of 2011.
Today Awebwa was brought back before the chief magistrate’s court of Entebbe to receive his sentence.
Chief magistrate Stella-Maris Amabilisi has sentenced Awebwa to 6 years in prison on each of the count but she ordered that instead of him serving all the 24 years in prison; he should serve the sentences concurrently after the court has considered his young age and the fact that he has been remorseful enough to confess that there are some people paying him to record and upload demeaning videos of the first family.
To court, the guilty plea is a sign of change of heart and this coupled with the fact that Awebwa has not wasted time and resources, Awebwa was spared the more than 2 decades prison sentence . This means Awebwa will leave prison in 2030 at the age of 30 years but he has a right of Appeal against only the sentence within 14 days.
However Magistrate Amabilisi noted that he would have forgiven Awebwa for realising his mistakes, but she has been constrained since Awebwa must serve as an example to other youths who use social media to attack very important people in the country.
Before handing down the sentence, the court first heard from the chief state Attorney Janat Kitimbo that Awebwa should be handed a harsh and deterrent sentence on grounds that many young boys use their social media handles to load malicious information against politicians.
According to court documents , Awebwa committed the offences between February and March 2024 when he record and upload videos and information on his tik- tok account ” SAVE MEDIA” which prosecution states was likely to ridicule and demean the person of president Museveni , the first lady Kataha Museveni and First son Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Awebwa’s conviction comes at a time when a number of suspects including the former RCC of Lubaga division Herbert Anderson Burorar are charged before various courts for hate speech and spreading malicious information.
Burora is on remand at Luzira prison and returns to court on Friday this week.
