President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has delivered a severe warning to individuals organizing an anti-corruption march planned for Tuesday, stating that such actions will not be permitted by the government.
According to reports, the protesters, predominantly young Ugandans, are demanding an end to government corruption and have been inspired by recent demonstrations in the neighboring country of Kenya.
In a televised address, President Museveni was reported to have accused the protest organizers of collaborating with foreigners to incite chaos in Uganda. He firmly stated that the government will not allow any disruptions to the country’s progress, asserting, “We are busy producing wealth… and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us.”
The police have refused to grant permission for the march, but the protest leaders have asserted that they will proceed regardless, citing their constitutional right to peaceful demonstration. One of the main protest leaders, Louez Opolose, told correspondents “We don’t need police permission to carry out a peaceful protest. It is our constitutional right.” Similarly, a protester named Shamim Nambasa, speaking on the issue, stated, “Our starting point in the fight against corruption is parliament… and the demonstration is on irrespective of what police is saying.” The United Kingdom has recently imposed sanctions on high-ranking Ugandan officials, including parliamentary speaker Anita Annet Among, over allegations of corruption.
Meanwhile, in Kenya, President William Ruto has called for an end to protests demanding his resignation and an end to “bad governance.” The protests has resulted in at least 50 deaths and 413 injuries since June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
