Ugandan leadership accused of muzzling the opposition
Photo by- GAEL GRILHOT/AFP/Getty Images)
Rights activists in Uganda on Friday pointed a finger at the Ugandan government accusing it of using electronic communications laws to silence any dissenting voices.
This is after a prominent academician was pronounced guilty by a Ugandan for cyber-harassment over a Facebook post critical of President Yoweri Museveni.
Stella Nyanzi, a university lecturer and researcher reportedly insulted the president on her social media platforms which attracted the government’s wrath for her attacks on him.
Her insults, which were laced with profanity and sexually explicit language, were posted on her Facebook page and shared widely by her followers.
A court on Thursday found her guilty of cyber harassment, an offence under Uganda’s computer-misuse law. The offence carries a sentence of three years or a fine of 1.4 million shillings ($379.40).
“This verdict is outrageous and flies in the face of Uganda’s obligations to uphold the right to freedom of expression and demonstrates the depths of the government’s intolerance of criticism,” said Joan Nyanyuki, director for East Africa at human rights pressure group Amnesty International.
Amnesty said in the statement the verdict should be quashed and Nyanzi, who has been in jail since November last year, freed immediately.
Those opposed to President Yoweri Museveni say he is increasingly becoming intolerant of dissent.
This even as Uganda’s pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine announced that he will challenge longtime President Yoweri Museveni in the elections expected to be held in 2021.
“I will challenge President Museveni on behalf of the people,” the 37-year-old opposition leader said in an interview to the Associated Press news agency on Monday.
But Wine, whose real name is Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, said he was concerned about his safety after surviving what he believes was an attempt on his life last August when his driver was shot dead in his car following an incident in which protesters threw stones at the president’s motorcade.
