President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has told his citizens planning to protest on Tuesday that they are “playing with fire” and will not be tolerated.
BBC reports on Sunday that the protesters, mostly young Ugandans, are demanding an end to corruption in government and have been inspired by recent demonstrations in neighbouring Kenya.
Museveni accused the protest organisers of working with foreigners to cause chaos in Uganda in a televised address.
He said 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.
The Ugandan police have denied the planners of the protest 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 protest is coming following growing concerns 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.
