Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Monday that security forces had besieged his party headquarters, on the eve of an anti-corruption march which has been banned by the authorities.
Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said that the headquarters of his National Unity Platform (NUP) in Kavule, a suburb of the Ugandan capital Kampala, was surrounded on Monday.
"Our headquarters are under siege by heavily armed police and the military. This was expected by the regime but we are not giving up on the struggle to liberate Uganda," he said.
In posts on social media, he added that security personnel had barred anyone from entering or exiting the NUP headquarters.
The action comes two days after President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned that Ugandans planning to take to the streets on Tuesday were "playing with fire".
Ugandan authorities have frequently cracked down on the NUP and Wine, a popstar turned politician who challenged Museveni unsuccessfully in the last elections in 2021.
Plagued by corruption
"As Ugandans march to parliament to protest tomorrow, they should be aware that the regime is ready to shed their blood to stay in power but this should not scare anyone," Wine added.
"We want a country where we all belong, not one for the few in power."
On Saturday, Ugandan police said they had informed organisers that they would not permit Tuesday's march under the hashtag #StopCorruption.
Ugandan police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said on Monday that the forces were seeking to dissuade protest organisers from taking "what we see as a potentially anarchic approach".
"We reiterate our position that we shall not tolerate disorderly conduct," he added.
Uganda has been plagued by corruption allegations for years, but complaints have surged recently.
Earlier this year, the United States and Britain imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials including parliamentary speaker Anita Among over alleged corruption.
The NGO Transparency International ranks Uganda low on its corruption perceptions index, at 141 out of 180 countries.
Opposition leaders and rights activists say embezzlement and misuse of government funds are widespread in Uganda and have long accused Museveni of failing to prosecute corrupt top-level officials who are politically loyal or related to him.
Protests inspired by Kenya
The anti-graft movement in Uganda has taken inspiration from anti-government demonstrations that have shaken neighbouring Kenya for more than a month, led largely by young Gen-Z Kenyans.
In Kenya, protests began as peaceful rallies against controversial tax hikes last month, turning deadly on occasion, then spiralled into a wider anti-government campaign.
Activists are now calling for Kenyan President William Ruto to resign and are also seeking action against corruption and alleged police brutality.
At least 50 people have been killed and 413 injured since the demonstrations began on 18 June, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.
(with newswires)
