TikToker arrested for trolling Uganda's King Kabaka

A Ugandan TikTok content creator is in police custody for allegedly abusing the Kabaka, the king of the Kingdom of Buganda, and other kingdom officials in his videos.

Twenty-seven-year-old Ibrahim Musana, who runs the social media pages Pressure Pressure, was arrested on Saturday for allegations of, among others, defamation, promoting hate speech and incitement to violence.

He is accused of using his social media platforms such as Tiktok, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to attack the Kabaka and other Buganda officials such as Prime Minister Katikkiro Charles Peter Mayiga.

Local media reported that detectives are processing the creator on charges of misuse of social media platforms, hate speech, malicious information and incitement to 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,” the Daily Monitor newspaper quoted Uganda’s police spokesperson Fred Enanga as telling journalists on Monday.

“We are transcribing over 50 videos of anti-Kabaka sentiments that are vulgar, abusive, hostile and defamatory for evidential purposes.”

The police spokesperson said a majority of Buganda were appalled with the creator’s sentiments, terming them “ugly speech… embarrassing and disrespectful to the Kabaka of Buganda and the Katikiro of Buganda and Buganda Kingdom."

Buganda is a Bantu kingdom within Uganda. It is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in East Africa, consisting of Buganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala.

With around 14 million members, the kingdom makes up the largest Ugandan region and 16 per cent of Uganda's population, according to Britannica.