By KT Reporter
Police in Lira City Central Division have arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly abusing President Yoweri Museveni in a viral video circulating on social media. The suspect, Fred Okuja, a resident of Anai Oki Cell, Anai Ward in Lira City West Division, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon under the Computer Misuse Act.
The video, shared widely on TikTok and WhatsApp, reportedly contained hate speech directed at the President. In the recording, made in both English and Leb Lango, Okuja accused President Museveni of being “barbaric” for allegedly blocking Jimmy James Michael Akena’s presidential nomination bid. He also warned of possible violence, drawing comparisons with the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
“You recruit soldiers from among the communities and should know that your guns cannot kill all of us. Gaddafi tried but could not kill everyone. If you want to cause war, we are not scared,” Okuja said in the video. He further accused the President of marginalizing Northern Uganda, contrasting it with his home area of Rwakitura, where he claimed cattle had been distributed to every household.
Jimmy Patrick Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed the arrest, saying police acted upon reviewing the video and are currently investigating the matter.
Okuja now joins a growing list of individuals arrested under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022, which defines offensive communication as the “willful and repeated use of electronic communication to disturb or attempt to disturb the peace, quiet, or right of privacy of any person with no purpose of legitimate communication.” If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of a fine, imprisonment of up to one year, or both.
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