Security thwarts Gen Z’s efforts to march to parliament

Tuesday, Kampala remained largely peaceful despite the call by Gen Zs to march to parliament to protest the rampant corruption by members of parliament.

Police and other security agencies were deployed in large numbers in and around Kampala to stop the march that had been announced for over a month. Patrick Onyango, the spokesperson of Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP), said majority Ugandans heeded their call of staying away from the demonstration.

“I have moved around KMP and the situation is normal and calm. People are going on with their lawful duties and businesses without any problem. Although intelligence agencies are still indicating intended disobedience plans by some youths. Security agencies have deployed to deter them,” Onyango said on X, formerly Twitter.

Security arrested a score of protesters who beat the heavy deployment to show up at or near parliament. Most of those arrested were chanting that parliament speaker Anita Among must resign because she is corrupt. So, anybody with a placard or shouting corruption would swiftly be arrested and driven away at breakneck speed to police stations around Kampala.

All roads leading to and around parliament had been sealed off by security and no vehicle would be allowed to go through. The few who would be allowed access were be members of parliament and parliamentary staff, who also had to first present their IDs.

But these two categories were restricted to one road near the National theatre. For weeks, police has been warning that they were going to deal ruthlessly with anyone who would attempt to get involved in what they considered an illegal demonstration. Their warnings were amplified by President Museveni, who while speaking to the country on Saturday, warned anybody who would attempt to defy the security directives.

Museveni said those calling for protests were playing with fire that would burn them. Museveni wondered how anybody who wants to protest corruption would opt for a day when Kampala is full of traders going about their businesses. Museveni also added that they had information that the agitators of the protests were being supported by foreign elements he never disclosed.

Borrowing from their colleagues in Kenya who managed to push President William Ruto to withdraw the Finance Bill 2024 that had significantly increased taxes, Ugandans, particularly on social media, sought to express their dissatisfaction on the way the country is being managed.

Corruption, which was their main rallying point, they argued, was to blame for the poor service delivery.

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