Police in Uganda cracked down on protesters in the capital city of Kampala over the weekend. At least one was killed, many injured, and untold numbers were arrested when police, at the behest of President Yoweri Museveni, crushed increasingly vehement protests over rising food and petrol prices. More problematically, the police actions smack of political opportunism, as among those arrested are most of the country’s top opposition leaders. Indeed the arrest of the opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, simply fueled even more public protest, which police met with teargas and rubber bullets.
Museveni, a darling of the West throughout most of the 90s and beyond, has revealed himself to be increasingly ruthless in crushing dissent. Recent events simply confirm a long-emerging picture.
