Ugandan security forces detained several young protesters in downtown Kampala on Tuesday during a banned rally against alleged rampant corruption and human rights abuses by the country’s leaders.
A witness observed the detentions and a video posted by NTV Uganda on the X social media platform showed a small group of youths being intercepted and detained by police as they marched.
The protesters were holding placards and chanting slogans denouncing corruption. One protester wore a T-shirt with the words “Speaker Must Resign.” A police spokesman was not immediately available to provide the number of detainees.
Authorities had banned the planned protest, citing intelligence suggesting that criminal elements might hijack the event to loot and vandalize. Soldiers and police were deployed around the parliament building and in central Kampala to deter protesters. All roads leading to parliament were blocked off, with access restricted to lawmakers and parliamentary staff. Reports showed military armored personnel carriers patrolling the area.
Local businesses near the parliament faced difficulties accessing their premises. “It’s like a war zone,” Edwin Mugisha, a Kampala worker, told Reuters, referring to the military presence.
On Monday, police sealed off the offices of Uganda’s largest opposition party, accusing it of mobilizing for the protests and detaining several party officials, including lawmakers. The party denied organizing the march but expressed support for it.
Opposition leaders and rights activists claim that embezzlement and misuse of government funds are widespread in Uganda. They have long accused President Yoweri Museveni of failing to prosecute corrupt senior officials who are politically loyal or related to him. Museveni has repeatedly denied condoning corruption, asserting that culprits, including lawmakers and ministers, are prosecuted whenever there is sufficient evidence.
