Political opposition leaders, led by the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, have planned a march to parliament on July 23, 2024, under the guise of protesting corruption tendencies in Parliament. They have also urged those unable to join the protest, especially those from upcountry, to walk to their nearest Members of Parliament’s (MPs) homes or offices in a bid to showcase their dissatisfaction with various issues, especially Speaker Anita Among’s stewardship in the 11th Parliament.
The organizers of the march have urged protesters to carry placards demanding the immediate resignation of Speaker Anita Among. The march follows an estimate of Ugx 9.7 trillion that Uganda loses to corruption per year by several Members of Parliament (MPs) and other government officials.
However, on several occasions, self-seeking politicians have been using unsuspecting Ugandans to garner donor funding to enrich themselves and their families. The opposition leaders have for long also used Ugandans as shields during the protests, in some instances not physically appearing at all.
The opposition leaders incite violence in the public, who are unaware of the consequences of unlawful protests.
The Walk to Work protests that occurred in April 2011 and the Black November 17, 2020, protests resulted in many protestors being arrested, leaving many families and innocent children unable to afford school fees, food, and other necessities of life as a result of being apprehended by police for breaking the law. The leaders of these unlawful protests, however, were able to walk away scot-free when the dust settled.
These opposition (NUP, FDC) leaders who are paid by foreign entities to disrupt the peace in Uganda in order to advance their agendas do not have to suffer the consequences of these unlawful protests. They hire expensive lawyers and use cheap ‘politricks’ to get out of jail, leaving underprivileged Ugandans to pay for their sins.
According to recent reports, the foreign powers funding the opposition want to sabotage Uganda’s economy and peace. Most recently, it has been revealed that those funding these protests want to sabotage Uganda’s oil production, which will improve the country’s economic situation. By funding these protests, the donors know that there will be disruptions in businesses and work, which they can use to destabilize the country.
Protesting is not the only way to get the government to listen to our woes as Ugandans. There are many avenues that can be used to get the government’s attention to the issues affecting us as Ugandans. Dialoging and seeking conference with the government is one way to achieve the desired results of these protests.
Besides, the government of Uganda has put in place preventive measures aimed at combating corruption, like the Inspectorate of Government, State House Anti-Corruption Unit, and police through the Criminal Investigations Directorate, who have been performing their duties to create a corruption-free Uganda, making such protests unnecessary.
