By Owich James
Poverty has contributed to a sharp rise in cases of hate speech in Uganda in recent years, according to a new report by the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC).
The rights body in its report said poor Ugandans have turned to social media to attack those they do not like.
The 2023 annual report on human rights and freedoms in Uganda indicates that low income earners are not happy with wealthy Ugandans. This, according to the rights body, has resulted into hatred in the country.
On the other hand, the rich are too afraid of the poor, and in some instances use social media to attack them.
UHRC accordingly noted that hate speech in the country is a complex issue adding that it has been embedded in dynamics of power exclusion and discrimination rooted in prejudice and lack of appreciation of diversity, cultural differences and diverging opinion.
In 2023, police recorded 10,591 cases of threatening violence across the country.
