A Ugandan protester was arrested by security officers on Tuesday morning while expressing their grievances outside the national parliament.
The protester, reportedly the first to arrive at parliament, was attempting to present their complaints to journalists when uniformed officers swooped in and escorted him to a police vehicle parked nearby.
He is among the young protesters in Uganda who have threatened to march to parliament to protest against poor governance.
“I am here at Parliament. We are saying we don’t want corruption in parliament. Corruption in parliament is rampant,” the protester was heard telling the journalists recording him.
He held a placard that read, ‘Stop Corruption in the Parliament of Uganda.’
“Yes, I am here standing at parliament. Corruption is now at its peak. Everyone is corrupt in offices, RDC, sub-county, district, everywhere. Everything is corrupt. I am here to protest at parliament so that Ugandans, it is our voice, we speak out,” he said before several officers approached and forcefully escorted him to a waiting police vehicle.
Journalists were left asking the protester about their grievances as he was swiftly taken away in the police vehicle.
This comes as youths in the neighboring country try to march to parliament in an effort to demand accountability from their leaders.
Among their demands are:
- Reduction of the number of Members of Parliament.
- Resignation of Anita Among as Speaker of Parliament.
- Reduction of MPs’ salaries to UGX 3 million (Ksh106,370).
- Audit of MPs’ lifestyles and disclosure of details.
- Resignation of all MPs involved in any scandal.
- Resignation of the four parliamentary commissioners.
- Allowing Ugandans to assemble peacefully without restriction