On Monday morning, the Makerere-Kavule area resembled a barracks on payday as heavily armed security forces flooded the city suburb to prevent a scheduled press briefing at the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Kampala.
NUP Vice-President Lina Zedriga, dressed in a striking red suit, attempted to reach the party offices, but police intercepted her. After a brief exchange, officers escorted Ms. Zedriga to a waiting police van, which she initially refused to enter. A struggle ensued as security personnel forcibly pushed her into the van.
Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake faced similar difficulties upon his arrival in a sleek saloon car, only to find spiked barricades blocking the entrance. Refusing to leave, Zaake cited a lack of fuel. Police swiftly brought a tow truck and lifted his car, with him still inside, onto the carriage.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke explained that the police had intelligence indicating that NUP had called MPs and councillors to attend a press conference. While there was no issue with the call, the party had also invited all its supporters to the small and crowded plot in Kavule, prompting heightened security measures to address the rights of others in the area.
Security concerns have escalated ahead of a planned youth anti-corruption march in Kampala, with authorities vowing to suppress it. Security presence in the capital has increased since the weekend, particularly following President Museveni’s national address, in which he warned against any anti-corruption protests.
Opposition parties and youth groups maintain that combating corruption is a civic duty, citing leaders like Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire, who urged the youth to confront corrupt officials. Rusoke emphasized that organizers must consider the rights of others to ensure their own rights are respected. He stated, “You need to balance the equation and understand that you don’t have absolute rights; you need to factor in other people’s interests and coordinate with the security regime on the ground.”
These protests come in the wake of allegations and revelations of widespread corruption within Parliament, with up to three MPs currently on remand for corruption-related offenses.
