Ugandan Security Forces Detain Protesters in Kampala Amid Anti-Corruption Rally

Ugandan security forces detained several young protesters in downtown Kampala on Tuesday during a banned rally against alleged corruption and human rights abuses.

A Reuters witness and a video by NTV Uganda on the X platform documented the detentions. The protesters, carrying placards and chanting anti-corruption slogans, were intercepted by police. One protester wore a T-shirt with the message "Speaker Must Resign."

The protest had been prohibited by authorities, who cited intelligence suggesting potential criminal activities by hijackers aiming to loot and vandalize. In response, soldiers and police were deployed around the parliament and central Kampala, blocking all roads to the parliament except for lawmakers and staff. Military armoured personnel carriers were seen patrolling the area, causing disruptions for nearby businesses.

"It's like a war zone," Edwin Mugisha, a Kampala worker, said. On Monday, police had sealed off the offices of Uganda's largest opposition party, accusing it of mobilizing for the protest and detaining some officials, including lawmakers.

The party denied organizing the march but expressed support for it. Opposition leaders and rights activists claim that corruption and misuse of government funds are rampant in Uganda and accuse President Yoweri Museveni of protecting politically loyal or related senior officials from prosecution.