Uganda authorities have refused to grant travel access to Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, a satirical author arrested for insulting the son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Voice of America reports.

Mr Rukirabashaija who was arrested in December 2021 for “offensive communication” under Uganda’s Computer Misuse Act had appeared in a Kampala court on Monday requesting that his passport be released to travel to Germany for a writing award and to receive medical treatment.

The author also requested that the magistrate move his case to a high court for trial.

However, Eron Kiiza counsel to Mr Rukirabashaija said the magistrate refused to grant all the submitted requests.

“It jeopardises the chances of our client to fight for his life and his health following the military torture in Entebbe. It’s obvious, since we started trying to expose his torture, they have been fighting it. So, this is the latest attempt to shield the wrongdoing from scrutiny,” Mr Kiiza said.

Denying the applications, the magistrate said Mr Rukirabashaija did not have any medical condition that required foreign care, ruling that Mr Rukirabashaija could join the award ceremony virtually.

The magistrate also turned down the request to move the writer’s case to the high court.

The author had in one of his articles suggested that the president’s son, Kainerugaba Muhoozi, was obese and bad-tempered.