Social media activism is athreat to Ugandas Museveni PresidentYoweri Musevenihas ruledUgandawith authoritarian firmness for the last 32 years.
Wine, an opposition MP, has emerged as a threat to Ugandas old political order.
He got nearly 80 percent of the vote and beating the ruling party and the main oppositions candidates.
In subsequent by-elections, the candidates he has backed have all won.
But the weight of this success is becoming painful for Wine.
Wine was initially charged in a military court withillegally possessing a firearm.
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This shows how desperate authorities are to deal with the threat Wine poses.
In full view of the public, journalists covering protests in Kampala calling for Wines release werebrutally assaulted.
Their recording equipment was either confiscated or destroyed by security forces.
This has sparkeda national and international outcry.
Musevenis grip on power remains exceptionally strong.
His control of the countrys civic and political institutions is nearly complete after 32 years in power.
But there are pockets of dissent emerging from digital platforms whose practical political consequences are being slowly realized.
Museveni runs a brutal regime.
The control of information seems key to eliminating public dissent.
Individual journalists have also borne the brunt of the states violence.
Arrests, kidnapping and torture are common.
Some of Ugandas best journalists havefled the countryover the years of Musevenis rule to seek refuge in neighboring countries.
It has obviously recognized this as a new platform for political expression.
In 2016the government shut downsocial media during the countrys elections.
Museveni has previously dismissed social media as a platform used particularly by young peoplefor gossip.
But that gossip has become an important form of political participation and protest vernacular.
Theyve also called for international organizations to censure Museveni.
This international attention prompted anunusual climbdownfrom Ugandas government.
The military has apologised for its brutal handling of journalists.
And Wine has been given bail on the treason charges.
Other repressive governments are no doubt watching this story unfold, and are worried.
Such transcontinental alliances forged and popularized through social media areundermining many governments attempts to control informationand invalidate legitimate dissent.
More importantly, the conversations enabled by hashtags like #FreeBobiWine borrow from international norms of conduct.
This invests local campaigns with agency as well as legitimacy.
Social medias potential to organize and mobilize is a bright light in that darkness.
This post was originally published byiAfrikan.
