Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has warned anti-corruption protesters planning a banned march on Tuesday that they are “playing with fire” and include elements working for foreign interests.
In a televised address late Saturday, Museveni said that some elements had been planning illegal demonstrations and riots, without elaborating.
“Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” President Yoweri Museveni said in a televised address late Saturday.
He also stated that demonstrations can only be allowed under a police permit as long as they do not cause public disorder and disrupt the lives of law-abiding citizens.
“Demonstrations can only be allowed under our mandate as long as they are not causing public disorder and disrupting lives of lawful citizens,” Ugandan police operations director Frank Mwesigwa told AFP.
The protesters, however, have vowed to press on with the demonstration despite the ban, saying it is their constitutional right. The organizers argue that they do not need police permission to hold a peaceful protest.
The march aims to take place in the capital city of Kampala, passing by parliament, which the protesters accuse of tolerating corruption. Uganda ranks low on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index, coming in at 141 out of 180 countries.
The protesters have been inspired by recent protests in neighboring Kenya, where anti-government demonstrations have turned deadly, with at least 50 people killed and 413 injured since June 18.
