The Uganda Police Force has announced that it has not cleared the planned march to Parliament protest being organized by a group of activists using social media.
This was announced on Monday, July 15th, 2024, by ACP Kituuma Rusoke during the weekly security media briefing held at Naguru Police Headquarters in Kampala.
The planned march to Parliament is slated for July 23rd, 2024, according to the information available on social media, to protest the increasing corruption in the house.
ACP Kituuma said the police have not yet received any requests from the organizers seeking clearance; therefore, it will remain an illegal protest.
He said that by mobilizing behind the scenes, the protest is likely to be devastating and spiral into public disorder on Kampala streets.
“We’ve seen organizers use social media to rally people for parliament. We appreciate the constitutional right to peaceful demonstration and assembly, but we are aware that some persons with ulterior motivations may seek to hijack these actions,” Rusoke stated.
Rusoke, citing intelligence reports, stated that everything points to the planned protest being disastrous.
He advised the organizers to consult with the police about how to peacefully express their dissatisfaction.
The development follows deadly riots in Kenya a few weeks ago over the controversial Finance Bill, 2024, which proposed a wide range of tax and administrative actions affecting various tax laws.
The government has cautioned Ugandans not to replicate the Kenyan protests.