A 20-year-old Senior Six student, Edison Ssemugenyi, has been sentenced to six months in prison for spreading false information about President Yoweri Museveni and making abusive remarks about the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Ssemugenyi appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to the charges, which fall under the Computer Misuse Act. According to prosecutors, he used his social media accounts last month to falsely claim that President Museveni was bedridden and to post offensive statements targeting Gen. Muhoozi. The posts quickly attracted wide attention online.
He was arrested shortly after posting the messages, just days after sitting for only two Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examination papers.
During sentencing, Ssemugenyi asked for leniency, admitting to making the posts. However, the magistrate emphasized the seriousness of the offence:
“The court must discourage the misuse of online platforms to spread falsehoods and harmful speech,” he said, issuing the six-month sentence.
It is not yet clear how Ssemugenyi’s imprisonment will affect his pending academic results. Officials from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) said the situation will be reviewed in line with existing regulations.
Authorities continue to warn the public against spreading misleading or harmful information online, reiterating that offenders will face legal action.
