Topless anti-corruption protesters arrested in Uganda

Topless demonstrator holding a placard in Uganda. Courtesy photo
Ugandan police arrested three(3) semi-naked protesters in the capital Kampala on Monday as they marched against corruption in the East African nation, their lawyer said.
The women, who belong to a civil society organisation known as the Uganda Freedom Activists and are linked to youth-led anti-government demonstrations earlier this year 2024, were detained as they marched towards parliament.
"Save the women, save the children, save the future and end corruption," shouted the women, who had "no corruption" painted on their bodies, according to pictures posted online.
"Uganda is not poor, they are stealing our wealth," read one placard.
Another woman had "Kiteezi was preventable" scrawled across her back, a reference to a huge garbage damp landslide in Kampala in August that killed several dozen people, including children.
Among those detained was law student Praise Aloikin Opoloje, one of the leaders of the Gen-Z-led protests in Uganda in July that were inspired by widespread anti-government demonstrations in Kenya.
Graft is a major issue in Uganda, with several major scandals involving public officials, and the country ranks a lowly 141 out of 180 countries on Transparency International's corruption index.
Earlier this year, the United States and Britain imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials, including the speaker of parliament, Anita Among, and two former ministers, for alleged corruption.
One of the women arrested had 'Anita resign' written on her legs, a long-standing call for Among to step down.