Ugandans have been provoked by mounting allegations of corruption against the parliament speaker, Anita Among, who has rejected calls for her resignation after revelations online of allegedly irregular expenditure by her office and others close to her.
Among, a senior member of Uganda’s ruling party, has since been sanctioned by the US and the UK. She has denied wrongdoing, and her supporters say she has been unfairly targeted in a country where corruption is rampant among officials. She is now the subject of an official probe into the source of her wealth, as well as charges she misused parliamentary resources.
“We all expected most people not to show up because of the fear and also the intimidation that is still evident in the streets, like several streets have been blocked,” said protester Safina Nakayiza. “If they see anyone marching with a placard or a manila paper with words on them, they have been arresting several people and denying lawyers access to them.”
Museveni’s government has long been accused of shielding corrupt but influential officials from criminal prosecution. After his re-election to a sixth term in 2021, Museveni promised to crack down on corruption. But many Ugandans are not hopeful.
Local media outlets frequently report on corruption issues, but activists, opposition figures and others who try to stage demonstrations face arrest under a law that requires them to first notify police of their plans to rally.