Ugandan police detained several people in Kampala on Thursday amid ongoing anti-corruption protests demanding the resignation of Parliament Speaker Anita Among. The demonstrations, which began this week, are inspired by recent youth-led protests in neighboring Kenya that successfully pressured the government to withdraw proposed tax hikes.
Local media footage shows police in riot gear forcibly removing demonstrators from the streets. On Tuesday, authorities had already disrupted a planned march to Parliament, arresting at least 73 young protesters, according to Chapter Four Uganda, an organization providing legal support to those detained.
Video footage from the Daily Monitor newspaper and NTV Uganda captured scenes of protesters chanting slogans such as “The Corrupt are Messing with a Wrong Generation” and “This is our 1986,” a nod to President Yoweri Museveni’s 1986 overthrow of a repressive government.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke previously stated that protests had been banned to prevent potential looting and vandalism. Museveni has warned against the protests, accusing demonstrators of receiving foreign funding and asserting that the fight against corruption is under his control, contingent upon the availability of evidence.
Despite the heavy-handed police response, activists have continued to use social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to organize and mobilize. One such forum on Thursday urged Ugandans to join the protests, emphasizing the importance of street demonstrations in the fight against corruption.
The protesters are demanding Among’s resignation, citing her recent U.S. and U.K. sanctions over alleged corruption. Among has denied these allegations and claims that Western governments are targeting her due to her role in passing controversial anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The Ugandan protests are echoing the tactics of their Kenyan counterparts, who have faced similar crackdowns, with over 50 killed in six weeks of unrest. Nigerian activists are also looking to replicate the Kenyan model, planning protests next month in response to a cost of living crisis.
