Playing with fire: Ugandan president warns protesters of consequences

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni issued a stern warning to protesters organizing an anti-corruption march scheduled for Tuesday, cautioning them that they are “playing with fire” and that such actions will not be tolerated.

According to BBC reports on Sunday, the demonstrators, predominantly young Ugandans, are rallying for an end to government corruption, drawing inspiration from recent protests in neighboring Kenya.

Museveni was reported to have accused the protest organisers of working with foreigners to cause chaos in Uganda in a televised address, and warned that the government will not allow disruptions to the country’s progress.

“We are busy producing wealth… and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us,” he said.

Police have refused to grant permission for the march, but protest leaders have said they will proceed anyway, citing their constitutional right to peaceful demonstration.

“We don’t need police permission to carry out a peaceful demonstration. It is our constitutional right,” one of the main protest leaders, Louez Opolose, told AFP.

A protester, Shamim Nambasa, speaking with AFP, said, “Our starting point in the fight against corruption is parliament… and the demonstration is on irrespective of what police is saying.”

The march comes amid growing discontent over corruption in Uganda, with the US and UK recently imposing sanctions on high-ranking officials, including parliamentary speaker Anita Annet Among, over allegations of corruption.

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Meanwhile, in Kenya, President William Ruto, has called for an end to protests demanding his resignation and an end to “bad governance.”

The protests, which have turned violent at times, have resulted in at least 50 deaths and 413 injuries since June 18, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

In Nigeria, PUNCH Online understands that a planned protest, scheduled to take place from August 1 to 10, 2024, is gaining momentum across the country.

The demonstration is aimed at drawing attention to the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.

While the protest has garnered support from some quarters, it has also attracted mixed reactions and concerns from various stakeholders.

The Presidency has described calls for the nationwide protests as treasonable.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a post on his X account, claimed that those organising the protests were also behind the “destructive” #EndSARS protests of October 2020.