President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has issued a warning to demonstrators, saying that if they go through with their plans to hold an anti-corruption march to parliament on Tuesday, they will be “playing with fire.”
Using social media, young Ugandans have been planning the march to call for an end to governmental corruption.
They were somewhat inspired by their Kenyan counterparts, who orchestrated large-scale protests that compelled President William Ruto to abandon his intentions to raise taxes. Since then, the demonstrations have turned into demands for his resignation.
Mr. Museveni forewarned the Ugandan organizers of their planned protest that it would not be allowed in a televised speech.
Although Mr. Museveni’s supporters applaud him for preserving stability in the East African nation, his detractors accuse him of controlling Uganda with an iron hand since he took office in 1986.
In an additional charge of “always working with foreigners” to instigate turmoil in Uganda, the president leveled accusations against some protest organizers. He did not go into detail.
Prior to the march, police had declared that they would not allow it to happen.
They would carry it out, one of the principal protest organizers told the AFP news agency.
“Police authorization is not required for us to conduct a nonviolent protest. Louez Aloikin Opolose was cited as saying, “It is our constitutional right.”
Anita Annet Among, the speaker of Uganda’s parliament, was sanctioned by the US and UK governments earlier this year after she was charged with corruption.
She has refuted any misconduct.
She is unable to go to the US or the UK due to the restrictions. Additionally, the UK threatened to freeze her assets.
Similar penalties have been imposed by the UK on two government ministers who were fired by Mr. Museveni following allegations of corruption against them as well.
In connection with a controversy involving the theft of thousands of metal roofing sheets meant for poor communities in the northeastern Karamoja region, Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu have been prosecuted in court.
Both have refuted the allegations.
In Kenya, President Ruto urged an end to the protests impacting his government, stating, “Enough is enough.”
Since Mr. Ruto assumed power in Kenya following his election victory in 2022, the protests have grown in size.
Activists have organized more protests for Tuesday, calling for his resignation and an end to what they term ineffective governance.
Mr. Ruto said the protest organizers could not be “anonymous” and that they needed to “step forward and tell us what this violence is going to achieve” while speaking at a demonstration in western Bomet County.
Last month, a group of demonstrators invaded parliament, burning a portion of it on fire and taking the mace—a symbol of the legislature’s authority—with them.
The organizers of the protests claim that most of their events have been nonviolent.
They charge that the military and police killed peaceful protestors and used excessive force in their response.
Since the protests began on June 18, at least 50 protestors have died and 413 have been injured, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
The leading opposition figure in Kenya, Raila Odinga, has shown support for the demonstrators and stated that negotiations with the government could not begin until victims’ rights were met.
Mr. Odinga’s stance could jeopardize Mr. Ruto’s efforts to include opposition members in his cabinet, a strategy intended to help quell the youth-led protests.
