Fire and Fury

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Police arrested dozens of people Tuesday as young Ugandans took to the streets of the capital Kampala to protest high-level corruption, despite the government threatening a crackdown, the Associated Press reported.

Security forces detained around 60 people who attempted to enter the country’s parliament. Police and military also deployed in other parts of the capital where small groups of demonstrators had gathered.

Among the arrested were three opposition lawmakers and seven others connected to the National Unity Platform (NUP) party, Agence France-Presse wrote.

Ahead of the protests, authorities warned that they would “not allow a demonstration that will risk (the) peace and security of the country.” President Yoweri Museveni also cautioned the protest’s organizers that they were “playing with fire.”

The youth-led protests come after Ugandans have voiced outrage over corruption allegations against Parliament Speaker Anita Among.

Among – who has been sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom – faces accusations of irregular expenditure by her office and people close to her. She has denied any wrongdoing, but authorities have launched an investigation into the source of her wealth and alleged misuse of parliamentary resources.

Observers noted that the anti-corruption rallies were inspired by recent anti-government demonstrations in Kenya, which led to the dismissal of almost the entire Kenyan cabinet due to widespread opposition to new tax proposals.

Museveni, in power since 1986, has promised to tackle graft in the African nation, but his government has been accused of shielding corrupt but influential officials.

Uganda is ranked 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s corruption index.