Ugandans Take To The Streets To Oppose Bill Extending Museveni’s Rule

Ugandan police on Thursday fired teargas into a crowd of demonstrators to disperse them as they marched to parliament to protest a bill aimed at extending President Yoweri Museveni’s rule.

The demonstrators constituted of activists, civil society organizations, religious leaders and even members of Museveni’s own ruling party.

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The rally was kicked off by groups of students at Makerere University, a public institution in the capital Kampala.

Police spokesman, Asan Kasingye, said citizens will not be allowed to hold protests or marches. He reiterated that the force is there to deter that.

The proposed bill, which is set to go before Parliament today, will give Museveni, who is 73, a chance to seek re-election in 2021 as the current constitution sets a ceiling for presidential candidates’ age at 75 years.

Museveni’s rule over Uganda has already extended over three decades.

This is not the first time such moves have been made in the region to extend a leader’s rule. Similar tactics have been used in Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic Congo to extend limits.

They were, however, like in Uganda, denounced by both the international community and from within.

To silence opposition to the move, Ugandan police have raided the premises of at least two pro-democracy organizations in Kampala, one of which is a local unit of Johannesburg-based ActionAid International.

Staff was blockaded staff inside their offices as security officers conducted searches.

“There was intelligence that we got that they received funding for people who are planning to cause chaos and violence,” Kasingye said.

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The US Embassy in Kampala condemned the raids on pro-democracy groups.

“The United States is deeply concerned that recent arrests and raids stifle the Ugandan people’s right to free expression and tarnish Uganda’s global image,” it said in a statement.

Local media have also reported that Kampala’s mayor Erias Lukwago, an opposition party member, had been detained early on Thursday. Kasingye denied the claims.