On Tuesday, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda issued a stern warning to citizens planning anti-corruption protests, stating that they are “playing with fire.” The warning follows a series of deadly anti-government demonstrations in neighboring Kenya, where at least 50 people were killed in clashes with security forces, according to figures from the National Commission on Human Rights.
Museveni, 79, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist for nearly four decades, declared in a televised address on Saturday that the planned anti-corruption march would not be permitted.
“What right do you have to seek to generate chaotic behavior? We are busy producing cheap food while people in other parts of the world are starving, and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us,” Museveni said during his three-hour-long, wide-ranging address.
Protest Plans Amid Government Opposition
Despite Museveni’s warnings, many young Ugandans have taken to social media to express their determination to proceed with the march to the country’s parliament, even though the police have refused to grant a permit for the protest. The Uganda Police Force labeled the planned protests as “potentially anarchic” in a statement on Monday, cautioning that it “shall not tolerate disorderly conduct.”
Defiant youth protesters have started sharing their photos on social media, urging fellow citizens to remember them if they do not return home safely. “Just in case I get abducted or I die in the march, you can use this photo for creating awareness. Otherwise, tell mum I played a fundamental role in saving my country! I know she will be happy!” said one activist, Ashiraf Hector, on X (formerly Twitter).
Another activist wrote: “Tomorrow, very early in the morning, I will join my fellow young people as we march to parliament against escalating corruption in Uganda. We will come face to face with murderers, and in case things go south for me, this is my official portrait.”
Legal and Civic Reactions
A group of lawyers and activists stated in a letter on Sunday that the police do not have the legal authority to stop peaceful protests. “The police cannot prohibit a demonstration from proceeding but have powers to regulate it to ensure it takes place within the confines of the law,” the letter read, urging President Museveni to “ensure that the constitutional right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully is not violated with impunity by security agencies.”
The tension surrounding the planned anti-corruption protests highlights the growing dissatisfaction among Ugandans, particularly the youth, with the current government and its handling of corruption. As the situation unfolds, the international community will be watching closely, mindful of the recent violence in Kenya and the potential for unrest in Uganda.
