A heavy military and police presence in and around Kampala left the streets deserted as pockets of young people marched toward parliament Tuesday.
Under the hashtag #March2Parliament, demonstrators demanded the resignation of Speaker of Parliament Anita Among along with four members of parliament who recently shared an award of $460,000 for "public service." They also called for an audit of legislators' income.
Many of the unarmed, placard-wielding protesters were thrown into police vans.
Chanting protesters sit in the middle of the road during protests in Kampala, Uganda, on July 23, 2024. (Halima Athumani/VOA)
Salim Papa Were spoke to journalists from under police van seats, where he had been pushed.
"We are protesting against escalating levels of corruption in Uganda," he said. "I was marching because I want Anita Among to resign, she has stolen from this country. These resources are not hers, this is taxpayers' money."
Almost an hour later, another group of nine youth appeared just meters from parliament before they were arrested and thrown into the police van.
Kirya Samson was among those arrested.
"No drugs in hospitals, bad roads, Kampala is the pothole capital," said Samson. "It’s because of corruption. We are tired."
Parliamentary spokesperson Chris Obore told VOA that protesters should have addressed their concerns through proper channels instead of demonstrating.
"This one is something disguised as a petition. If it is about the speaker of parliament, the speaker of parliament is not appointed by anybody. The speaker of parliament is elected by members of parliament. Is it members of parliament demanding her to resign?" asked Obore. "The campaign around the Speaker Anita Among is a smoke screen by those who have their ulterior motives."
A protester screams as he is carried away with others after being arrested by military police during the anticorruption protest in Kampala, Uganda, July 23, 2024.
In May, both the United States and United Kingdom sanctioned Speaker Among over reports of corruption and abuse of office.
There was hope that today’s protests would mimic events in neighboring Kenya, where youth have been protesting since June and successfully forced Kenyan President William Ruto to withdraw a proposed tax hike and overhaul his cabinet.
Activist and law professor Busingye Kabumba said it is unfortunate that Uganda's parliament has gone ahead to sit without acknowledging protestors' demands.
He thinks protests in Uganda could still unfold the way they did in Kenya.
"I see today as being the starting shot in what is likely to be a longer struggle," said Kabumba. "But either way, the critical similarities are to do with the joining concerns of the youth and their determination to change the political systems in which they find themselves."
While Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni warned protestors that they were playing with fire by marching on parliament, no tear gas was fired Tuesday to disperse onlookers.
It was not immediately clear how many protesters were arrested or when they might appear before courts.