A Ugandan TikTok content creator found himself in police custody for defaming the Kabaka, the esteemed King of the Kingdom of Buganda, and other kingdom officials through his videos.
Twenty-seven-year-old Ibrahim Musana, known for his social media alias “Pressure Pressure,” was apprehended on Saturday amidst allegations of defamation, hate speech promotion, and incitement to violence.
Musana stands accused of utilizing various social media platforms, including TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, to launch attacks against the Kabaka and other Buganda officials, including Prime Minister Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga.
Reports from local media indicate that detectives are currently processing the creator on charges related to the misuse of social media platforms, dissemination of hate speech, spreading malicious information, and inciting violence.
“We continue to process charges against a suspect who was arrested for defaming the Kabaka of Buganda, promoting hate speech, incitement to violence and other offensive pieces of communication against the Kabaka of Buganda and Buganda Kingdom,” stated Uganda’s police spokesperson Fred Enanga during a briefing with journalists on Monday.
He further elaborated, stating, “We are transcribing over 50 videos of anti-Kabaka sentiments that are vulgar, abusive, hostile and defamatory for evidential purposes.”
Enanga emphasized that the majority of Buganda’s populace was appalled by the creator’s expressions, condemning them as “ugly speech… embarrassing and disrespectful to the Kabaka of Buganda and the Katikiro of Buganda and Buganda Kingdom.”
The Kingdom of Buganda holds significant cultural and historical importance within Uganda, representing the largest of the traditional kingdoms in East Africa. Comprising Buganda’s Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, it boasts a substantial membership, constituting approximately 16 per cent of Uganda’s population, as per Britannica.
