Protesters planning to boo Museveni at swearing in
By George Murumba
9th May 2011: Hundreds of ‘Activists for Change’ [A4C] protesters who have been engaged in the ‘walk-to-work’ campaign against the high cost of living in Uganda may have already hatched a plan to ‘Walk-to-Kololo’ to boo President Yoweri Museveni at his swearing in ceremony.
President Yoweri Museveni is due to be sworn-in on 12th May for another five year term of office after controversially “winning” 68% of the vote in the presidential elections held in February this year; an election whose results were roundly rejected by all the leading opposition leaders in Uganda.
The final eruption of building tension
Since then, Uganda has been under serious political tension with heavily armed military men patrolling town centres across the country. That tension has in part contributed to the birth of ‘Activists for Change’; the political pressure group behind the ‘walk-to-work’ protests that have gripped Kampala and various other towns since 11th of April when they started.
The protests, initially called to express dissatisfaction with the government’s insensitive handling of the runaway inflation and attendant high cost of living, have now metamorphosed into a gigantic political contest between Uganda’s top political protagonists. The opposition protesters are determined to use Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony to make their case for fresh elections.
The opposition protesters’ infiltration strategy
Sources within the opposition movement have said that their plan is to come dressed up in the NRM’s yellow T-shirts and caps. “…That is the only way to beat their security. How will they tell who is an NRM supporter and who is not when we are all dressed in yellow. Will they use their members register? Let’s wait and see”, said a confident sounding opposition protester.
Uganda Police had by press time not yet responded to our enquiry about what they intend to do to prevent opposition supporters disrupting Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony. END. Please login to www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.
