The authorities in Uganda have come under heavy criticism from Amnesty International over their ‘brutal’ handling of anti-corruption protests earlier this week.
Hundreds of youthful protesters were arrested and detained during the protests, coming hot on the heels of the suppression of anti-government demonstrations in Kenya.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa said “The heavy-handed tactics used by the Ugandan government to stifle and silence peaceful protestors show a manifest clampdown on dissent. People in Uganda have the right to express critical views against official corruption in government and human rights violations by the state and the expression of such views should not result in imprisonment”.
The AI official called for the ”immediate and unconditional release all those who were arrested solely for exercising their right to peaceful assembly and remain unlawfully detained”.
Chagutah said instead of clamping down on protesters “state authorities must address the demands of the people who are calling on them to deal with corruption among elected officials, and respect, protect and fulfil all their human rights obligations.”
Tuesday’s anti-corruption protests in the capital Kampala as well as other towns in Uganda, follow mounting allegations of widespread official corruption, especially against members of parliament, including the Speaker of Parliament.
President Yoweri Museveni warned on Sunday that protests would not be tolerated.
On Monday police besieged opposition party headquarters ahead of the planned protests, and on Tuesday, they arrested more than a hundred protestors in what was termed a precautionary move.
The Ugandan protests mirrord those staged by youth activists in neighbouring Kenya, where the president was forced to withdraw controversial tax proposals and dissolve his cabinet.
WN/as/APA