Uganda President Yoweri Museveni has warned protesters who planned to proceed with a banned anti-corruption march on Tuesday of “playing with fire”.
The country’s long-time leader said in a televised address on Saturday that “some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” adding that the “elements were working for foreign interests.”
Earlier on Saturday, the Ugandan police notified event organisers that the planned demonstration in the capital, Kampala, would not be allowed. They claimed they had received intelligence suggesting that “certain elements intended to exploit the demonstration to incite chaos in the country.”
Despite the police ban, protest organisers have vowed to press on with the march, saying it is within their constitutional rights and does not require police consent to carry out a peaceful march.
The protesters, who have been watching the events in neighbouring Kenya, plan to march to the parliament, which they accuse of fueling corruption.
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