NEWS– The Uganda Police have warned youth planning to march to parliament in the anti-corruption protest that they should be ready for consequences. Police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke said despite efforts to persuade the organizers of the march to drop the move, they have persisted.
“We reiterate our position that we shall not tolerate disorderly conduct. We understand, feel and acknowledge the existence of rights of individuals but we have a duty to keep law and order that we can’t run away from. We can’t delegate or gamble over this duty,” Rusoke said.
Young Ugandans have been using social media to demand an end to government corruption. They are partly inspired by their counterparts in Kenya, who organized mass demonstrations that led President William Ruto to abandon plans to increase taxes.
As part of the preparations, the security agencies have taken over junctions and roundabouts to the city centre as a tactical deployment for the protests. For example, in Busega, along the Kampala-Masaka highway, the roundabout has been taken over and at Nateete traffic lights, a police patrol truck and a sizable number of military personnel are visible.
This is the same sight on junctions and roundabouts on all roads leading to the city centre. At the Constitutional Square, the grounds have been turned into barracks of sorts, with tents erected by security personnel an indication that they have braced for what is to come.
In Bwaise, joint security teams of the army and police surrounded the opposition National Unity Platform headquarters, where the party was set to hold a press briefing. He also commented about the deployment at the National Unity Platform headquarters that he said is precautionary.
“NUP called upon MPs and councilors to come and attend a press conference which is fine. However, the party also called upon all pressure grounds and all supporters in the country to come and attend the same press conference at Kavule. If you are going to call all supporters of NUP in a small and crowded plot of land, we certainly have to heighten measures and take note of concerns of the rights of others.
On Saturday, President Museveni cautioned the group planning to protest, stating that they will be “playing with fire” if they move forward with the anti-corruption march to parliament on Tuesday.