Uganda: Police crackdown on anti-corruption protest, youth activists defy govt’s threats

Ugandan police forcefully detained dozens of protesters at an anti-corruption rally in the capital city of Kampala on Tuesday (23 July), as people rallied against the government’s corruption, ignoring warnings by police and President Yoweri Museveni.

Organizers and participants of a planned march against corruption on Tuesday defied a ban on anti-government protests — inspired by weeks-long Gen Z protests in neighboring Kenya — saying they won’t be deterred by Museveni’s threats that they are “playing with fire.” “We’re not intimidated! We stand firm for our rights 2 #March2Parliament to assert our freedom & demand accountability!”, said journalist and activist Makana Kennedy Ndyamuhaki in a post on the social media platform X. “Young people have … decided to take to the streets leading to parliament to complain about this corruption,” added influencer Uwera Lyndah.

Security personnel detained at least 45 people who took part in banned youth-led anti-corruption protests in Kampala, according to Chapter Four Uganda, a rights group, as the capital city has been put in lockdown amid the government’s fears that the demonstrations would continue.

Ugandan military and police were seen deployed in various parts of Kampala where small groups of protesters had gathered on Tuesday. Human Rights Watch Uganda researcher Oryem Nyeko condemned the arrests, and said they were “a reflection of where Uganda is at the moment as far as respect for those rights is concerned”. Museveni has long been accused of failing to prosecute corrupt senior officials who are politically loyal or related to him, an accusation the president has denied.