The Ugandan government has issued a forceful warning to its youth who are planning to stage anti-government protests, drawing a clear distinction between the political climate in Uganda and recent events in neighboring Kenya.
President Yoweri Museveni, who has maintained a firm grip on power since 1986, addressed the nation in a televised speech on Saturday evening. He cautioned potential demonstrators, stating,
“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots.”
You Are Playing with Fire
The President further alleged that these protesters included “elements working for foreign interests,” though he did not provide specific details to support this claim. He further stated,
“What right do you have to seek to generate chaotic behavior? We are busy producing wealth; you are getting cheap food, other people in other parts of the world are starving, and you are here, you want to disturb us. You are playing with fire. We cannot allow you to disturb us.”
The planned anti-corruption march, scheduled for July 23 in the capital city of Kampala, has been officially banned by Ugandan authorities. Frank Mwesigwa, the Ugandan police operations director, explained to AFP that intelligence reports suggested,
“some elements were trying to take advantage of the demonstration to cause chaos in the country.”
He emphasized that demonstrations would only be permitted if they did not disrupt public order or interfere with the lives of law-abiding citizens.
Organizers Remain Defiant
Former presidential aspirant and an opposition figure, Kizza Besigye stated on X that Uganda does not qualify to have a say about demonstrating against corruption.
Despite the ban, protest organizers remain defiant. They plan to march past parliament, which they accuse of tolerating corruption. Louez Aloikin Opolose, one of the primary protest leaders, asserted,
“We don’t need police permission to carry out a peaceful demonstration. It is our constitutional right.”
The government’s stance was further reinforced by a statement from the Uganda Police Force on social media, declaring the planned demonstrations illegal. This aligns with the government’s priority of maintaining public order.
In response to comparisons with recent events in Kenya, where protests have turned violent, Ugandan officials insist that their situation is fundamentally different.
They have made it clear that actions such as marching on and burning parliament, as seen in Kenya, will not be tolerated in Uganda.
The police had banned protests in Kenya’s capital citing intelligence that criminal groups were planning to exploit the protests. However, the High Court
141st out of 180 Countries in Corruption
The planned protests come against a backdrop of perceived corruption in Uganda. Transparency International ranks Uganda 141st out of 180 countries on its corruption perceptions index, indicating a significant problem with corruption in the nation.
The situation in Uganda is being closely watched, particularly in light of the ongoing demonstrations in Kenya. The Kenyan protests, which began as peaceful rallies against tax increases, have evolved into a broader anti-government campaign addressing issues of corruption and alleged police brutality.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, these demonstrations have resulted in at least 50 deaths and 413 injuries since they began on June 18.
