Africa

Africa

Party protests worry Museveni more than walking workers

Party protests worry Museveni more than walking workers

Central Kampala is in lockdown this week. Shops are closed, traffic is blocked and police are out in force. It’s a telling sign of just how worried Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is about the vociferous opposition to his regime. Museveni’s blaming the youth, but it’s the young turks in his own party that are causing him the most trouble. By SIMON ALLISON.

Of all the different protests we’ve seen this year in Africa and the Middle East, Uganda’s is perhaps the most ingenious. Encouraging disgruntled citizens to walk to work rather than stage a formal demonstration makes it a lot harder for the government to use rules against mass assembly or petty practical restrictions to stop protesters. Businesses are happy because employees are at work and protesters can keep earning.

But the Ugandan government isn’t taking chances. Museveni threatened on Sunday that anyone who took part in the protests would be arrested, and he’s made good on his word – estimates vary, but between 25 and 45 people have been detained so far. Included is opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Besigye was swiftly released, with the Ugandan police perhaps mindful of the court ruling which deemed his last arrest groundless.

Security forces have also been clamping down on schools and universities, which are seen as opposition hotbeds. A national high school exam was recently disrupted as police stormed the exam venue, using tear gas to disperse students.
At the same time, Museveni has been coping with a potentially more serious problem. Again, the youth are to blame, but this time it’s his youth. The younger generation of ruling party MPs have been vocal in their criticism of older MPs, who they accuse of massive corruption around Uganda’s oil. This has forced Museveni into action, and the accused have been charged. For Museveni, this is a far more serious challenge to his authority than any number of walk-to-work protests, coming as it does from the very heart of his power base.

The pressure’s on Museveni. But he’s an old dog with plenty of tricks, and won’t be feeling too threatened yet. DM



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Photo: Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye. Reuters.

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