Ugandan police detained several individuals in the capital, Kampala, on Thursday amid a second day of anti-corruption protests demanding the resignation of the parliament speaker.
Local media footage showed the arrests taking place as young Ugandans demonstrated against alleged corruption by elected leaders.
Inspired by youth-led protests in neighboring Kenya that recently forced the president to withdraw proposed tax hikes, Ugandan youths began their protests this week.
On Tuesday, police swiftly shut down a planned march to parliament, arresting at least 73 young protesters, according to Chapter Four Uganda, an organization offering legal support to the detained individuals.
Despite the arrests, more demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday. Video posted on X by the Daily Monitor newspaper showed police in riot gear forcing several young adults into a truck as they shouted protest slogans. Footage from NTV Uganda depicted about a dozen people marching with signs reading, “The Corrupt are Messing with the Wrong Generation” and “This is our 1986,” referencing the year President Yoweri Museveni overthrew a repressive government.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke referred Reuters to comments he made on Monday, stating that protests had been banned due to concerns they could be hijacked by individuals seeking to loot and vandalize.
President Museveni, who warned protesters against “playing with fire” over the weekend, accused them on Thursday of receiving foreign funding, asserting that Uganda is not a “neo-colony” and that the fight against corruption is his responsibility, pending evidence.
Ugandan and Kenyan activists have utilized audio forums on X as a primary platform for organizing their protests. In one such forum on Thursday, activists encouraged Ugandans to take to the streets, acknowledging the challenge of mobilizing in a country where anti-government demonstrations are often met with forceful police crackdowns. “You want it done today? Get out of your house … Be the soldier for this anti-corruption fight,” urged one speaker identified only by their X handle.
The protesters are demanding the resignation of parliament speaker Anita Among, who was sanctioned this year by the United States and Britain for alleged corruption. Among denies all allegations, claiming she is targeted by Western governments due to her role in pushing through harsh anti-LGBTQ legislation last year.
Borrowing slogans from their Kenyan counterparts, where over 50 people have died in six weeks of protests, Ugandan protesters characterize themselves as “fearless” and “leaderless.” Nigerian activists are also looking to emulate the Kenyan protests, calling for demonstrations next month in response to a cost of living crisis.
