Makerere University research fellow Dr Stella Nyanzi has been arraigned in court and charged with with cyber harrassment and offensive communication.
Dr Nyanzi, who was arrested on 7th April and detained at Kira Divisional Police headquarters, was on Monday morning driven to Buganda Road Magistrate’s court where she was charged.
She is charged with two counts including cyber harassment contrary to section 24 (1)(2)(a) of the Computer misuse Act 2011 and offensive communication contrary to section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act 2011.
In the first count, prosecution alleges that “Dr Nyanzi on January 28, 2017 at Kampala District or thereabout used a computer to post on her Facbook page “Stella Nyanzi” wherein she made a suggestion or proposal referring to His Excellence Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as among others “a pair of buttocks” which suggestion/ proposal is obscene or indecent.”
In the second count, prosecution states that Dr Nyanzi “between January 2017 and march 2017 in Kampala district wilfully and repeatedly used electronic communication to post messages offensive in nature via Facebook, transmitted over the internet to disturb or attempted to disturb the peace, quiet or right of privacy of his excellency the president of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni with no purpose of legitimate communication.
Nyanzi pleaded not guilty to the charges and defended her posts as being full of metaphoric language, which was simply meant to stress her point and not to be abusive.
Magistrate James Ereemye adjourned the further hearing of the case until 25th April when the bail application for Stella Nyanzi, who has been remanded to Luzira Prison, will be heard.