Bobi Wine leads Ugandans in protest against social media tax

p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120%; } Opponents of a tax on the use of social media in Uganda protested in the capital, Kampala, on Wednesday. The tax, introduced at the beginning of the month, requires people to pay Ush200 [$0.05, £0.04] before they can use services like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

by BBC @BBCAfrica

News17 January 2019 - 18:10

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni attends the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia January 28, 2018. /REUTERS

Opponents of a tax on the use of social media in Uganda protested in the capital, Kampala, on Wednesday.

The tax, introduced at the beginning of the month, requires people to pay Ush200 [$0.05, £0.04] before they can use services like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.

Today's demonstration was led by MP and popular musician Robert Kyagulanyi, who is better known as Bobi Wine.

The MP, a fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni, posted videos on his Twitter account.

Those in the protest said the tax is killing youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

Museveni has defended the tax, saying that social media is used to spread gossip which he described as "opinions, prejudices, insults [and] friendly chats".

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