President Museveni of Uganda Warns Protesters (Kenya Protests)
Hiroshi Saito and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda warned protesters not to push the government too far.
Museveni said they will be “playing with fire” if Tuesday’s anti-corruption protest goes ahead. This concerns the planned march to the parliament of Uganda.
Museveni said, “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.”
AFP reports, “Museveni has ruled the East African country with an iron fist since 1986.”
The leader of Uganda is concerned that anti-government protests in Kenya are encouraging protesters in Uganda.
It is known that 50 protesters have been killed in Kenya – according to government officials. However, the death toll might be higher.
The BBC reports, “They have been partly inspired by their counterparts in neighboring Kenya, who organized mass demonstrations that forced President William Ruto to drop plans to increase taxes. The protests have since morphed into calls for his resignation.“
Eron Kiiza (human rights lawyer and environmentalist in Uganda) said, “The regimes are different. In Kenya, there is a relative democracy. Here, there is mostly military dictatorship. So, the contexts are different, and the issues are different, but they kind of feed off the Kenyan energy.”
Museveni ordered the security apparatus to be deployed in high numbers in Kampala. Accordingly, the parliament building, central areas, and other essential parts of Kampala are witnessing heavy police and military presence.
Reuters reports, “Authorities banned the planned protest, citing intelligence they said showed criminally-minded youths might hijack it in order to loot and vandalize.”
Louez Aloikin Opolose (one of the protest leaders of influence) said, “We don’t need police permission to carry out a peaceful demonstration… It is our constitutional right.”
The Uganda Police Force warned it “shall not tolerate disorderly conduct.”
Protesters are disillusioned with government corruption and the control of power concentration under Museveni.
The state apparatus in Uganda is better prepared than the authorities in Kenya to crush what it deems dissent. However, Museveni should note the changes within the younger generation and the need for transparency and hope – rather than political cronyism.
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