On July 23, police in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, detained at least 45 individuals protesting widespread government corruption. The demonstration, partially inspired by recent youth-led protests in neighboring Kenya, saw young Ugandans mobilize online to demand accountability. Their primary demands included the resignation of Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, implicated in a corruption exposé in February, and a reduction in the salaries of Ugandan parliamentarians, among the highest in the world.
The police responded to the protest with force, arresting dozens and swiftly charging them with the colonial-era “common nuisance” offense, historically misused by the government to suppress legitimate demonstrations.
One of the protest participants, Praise Aloikin, expressed their resolve before the protest: “We know we will be met with resistance from the government. But we hope this will normalize Ugandans to exercise their right to protest.” Aloikin was among those arrested and remanded to prison.
The crackdown continued as police arrested three more individuals on Wednesday while they attempted to hold a press conference. Authorities claimed they had tried to “dissuade the organizers” during a meeting on July 18. Aloikin, who attended the meeting, reported that officials tried to intimidate them, questioning, “Didn’t you see people die [in Kenya]?” Two days before the protests, President Yoweri Museveni threatened protesters, warning they were “playing with fire.”
Ugandan authorities have regularly targeted activists, political opposition members, and human rights defenders who voice concerns on issues such as oil sector development and police brutality. This latest crackdown is a clear violation of the rights to peaceful assembly and free speech, guaranteed in Uganda’s constitution and international law, highlighting the authorities’ intolerance toward dissent. The Ugandan government should drop the charges against these activists and heed their concerns.
