KAMPALA — Ugandan protesters planning to defy a ban on an anti-corruption march are “playing with fire,” President Yoweri Museveni warned in a televised address late Saturday.
“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” Museveni stated.
The president, who has ruled the East African nation since 1986, accused the protesters of including “elements working for foreign interests,” without offering further details.
The warning followed a statement earlier Saturday from Ugandan police, which informed organizers that the planned protest in Kampala would not be permitted.
Authorities cited intelligence indicating that “some elements were trying to take advantage of the demonstration to cause chaos in the country.”
“Demonstrations can only be allowed under our mandate as long as they are not causing public disorder and disrupting the lives of lawful citizens,” Ugandan police operations director Frank Mwesigwa told AFP news agency.
The protesters aim to march past parliament, accusing it of tolerating corruption.
Transparency International ranks Uganda low on its corruption perceptions index, placing it 141 out of 180 countries, with higher rankings indicating less perceived corruption.
The Ugandan protesters have been closely following the tumultuous events in neighboring Kenya, where anti-government protests have been ongoing for more than a month.
Initially peaceful rallies against tax hikes, the Kenyan demonstrations have morphed into a broader campaign against corruption and alleged police brutality.
According to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the protests in Kenya have resulted in at least 50 deaths and 413 injuries since they began on June 18.
Email us at: info@alleastafrica.com
