Ibrahim Musana, also known as Pressure 24/7, a TikToker accused of disseminating content that ridiculed and incited hostility towards President Yoweri Museveni and Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi, has been granted bail after spending over two months in prison.
On Monday, Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi granted Musana a cash bail of Shs2 million, with each of his two sureties bonded at Shs20 million non-cash.
Kayizzi granted bail reasoning that Musana had spent the constitutional 60 days on remand without trial, although state attorney Ivan Kyazze indicated that investigations into the case were still ongoing.
The 27-year-old Musana was arraigned before the court on February 23, 2024, and charged with promoting hate speech and spreading malicious information.
Prosecution alleges that between August 2023 and February 2024 in Kampala district, using his TikTok account, Pressure shared information likely to degrade or demean and promote hostility against four leaders, including the Kabaka, Museveni, Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among, and State Minister for Information Communication Technology (ICT) Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo.
Pressure, represented by his lawyers including twin brothers Kakuru Tumusiime and Kato Tumusiime, applied for bail, asserting that the charges against him are bailable since he maintains his innocence.
Initially, during his arraignment, he did not directly plead to the charges, claiming he was unaware that posting such videos constituted an offense due to his psychological condition. He stated that he had been admitted to Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital previously.
Pressure mentioned that he had been troubled by the spirits of Buganda's deceased kings, demanding him to repair their tombs, but he lacked the financial means to comply.
He further stated that he had written to Buganda Kingdom for two years, informing them of his status as a prince and the spirits' demands, but received no response.
He pleaded with the court to forgive him, promising to refrain from attacking leaders and to delete all hate speech content from his TikTok account. His troubles began when Buganda Kingdom officials reported him to the police for ridiculing the Kabaka
