Dozens of individuals who participated in anti-corruption protests in Kampala on Tuesday, defying an official ban, have been detained and charged, according to their lawyers.
Around 60 people, including a well-known TV and radio presenter along with three young protest leaders, were swiftly brought before the courts and remanded on charges such as being a “common nuisance,” the lawyers reported.
President Yoweri Museveni, who has governed Uganda with a firm grip for nearly four decades, had warned over the weekend that the protesters were “playing with fire.”
Riot police were heavily deployed across Kampala, setting up roadblocks particularly near the business district and sealing off roads to parliament.
Police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke stated that the authorities would not tolerate any demonstration that threatened Uganda’s “peace and security.”
The protest, organized by young Ugandans online, called for action against corruption.
Colorful posters encouraged people to march on parliament, inspired by Gen-Z-led anti-government protests in neighboring Kenya.
Corruption is a significant issue in Uganda, with numerous high-profile scandals involving public officials.
The country ranks 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.
“We are tired of corruption,” protester Samson Kiriya shouted from a police van as he was arrested.
‘Flimsy Offence’
About 60 detained protesters were brought before the courts in separate hearings, their lawyers stated.
Among those charged were well-known TV and radio presenter Faiza Salima, a social media influencer, and a doctor, lawyer Ashraf Kwezi told AFP.
“The three were charged with a flimsy offence of being a common nuisance… and disorderly after they participated in the protest today but they denied the charges,” he said.
Three protest organizers—George Victor Otieno, Kennedy Ndyamuhaki, and Aloikin Praise Opoloje—who were arrested while marching to parliament were also charged.
Bernard Oundo, president of the Uganda Law Society, told AFP that 50 people were charged in a Kampala court and are set to reappear between July 30 and August 8.
Another five were charged in a separate hearing at a different court, lawyer Patience Muwanguzi said.
“This was a rushed trial.
They were arrested and taken to court in a very short time and remanded to prison without securing them bail,” she told AFP.
“We will ensure these people receive justice.”
Crackdown on Opposition
Human Rights Watch Uganda researcher Oryem Nyeko criticized the numerous arrests, describing them as “a reflection of where Uganda is at the moment as far as respect for those rights is concerned.”
On the eve of the protest, Ugandan authorities surrounded the headquarters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) led by former presidential candidate Bobi Wine, arresting three of his party’s MPs.
A heavy police presence remained around the NUP offices in a Kampala suburb on Tuesday, according to an AFP journalist.
“Salutations to all who have courageously marched and are still marching against corruption and misrule — even in the face of very brutal actions by the military and police!” Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, posted on X.
Ugandan authorities have often targeted the NUP and Wine, a popstar turned politician who unsuccessfully challenged Museveni in the 2021 elections.
Sanctions
Corruption remains rampant in Uganda, with several high-profile figures recently implicated in graft scandals.
Earlier this year, the United States and Britain imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials, including parliament speaker Anita Among and three former or current ministers, for alleged involvement in corruption.
The ministers are on trial for allegedly stealing iron sheets intended for the poor under a government project, but no charges have been brought against the speaker.
Four legislators from Uganda’s ruling party and two senior civil servants are also in custody for allegedly embezzling funds meant to compensate farmers who lost property during the 1980s bush war that brought Museveni to power.
“We are not relenting until we have the corrupt out of office,” protester and human rights lawyer Ezra Rwashande told AFP during the protests.
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