On Wednesday, security forces detained three activists, Abigail Kalenda, Denis Pato, and Ruth Nalunkuma, at a press conference in Kampala. The activists, associated with civil society organizations, were preparing to speak at Hotel Eliana in Ntinda when they were apprehended and taken to an undisclosed location.
The raid occurred around 1:30 p.m., with security forces surrounding the hotel and arresting the activists who were about to address the media about the previous day’s anti-corruption march.
The activists were charged with unlawful assembly at City Hall Court and held until Thursday morning. They face charges under sections 61 and 62 of the Penal Code Act, which accuse them and others of actions that created a reasonable fear of disrupting peace.
Kampala Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura, who attended court to stand as surety, confirmed that the case was postponed due to the late hour. The activists have been remanded until Thursday morning.
On Tuesday, Uganda’s Generation Zoomers (Gen Z) held a protest against parliamentary corruption. Several young protesters attempting to march to Parliament were arrested by a joint military and police team and were subsequently charged with common nuisance at Buganda Road and Nakawa Chief Magistrate Courts, before being remanded to Luzira Prison.
Among those detained were former Rubaga South MP candidate and activist Habib Buwembo, and comedian Samuel Okanya, also known as Sammy.
The protesters have made several demands, including the resignation of Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and four backbench commissioners, a reduction in the number of Ugandan MPs, an audit of MPs’ lifestyles, and the resignation of MPs implicated in corruption scandals. They are also calling for a cap on MPs’ salaries and allowances at Shs3 million.
Corruption remains a major issue in Uganda, with the country ranked 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.