On a rain-soaked afternoon outside Westminster, Ugandan protesters gathered to challenge the legitimacy of President Yoweri Museveni’s latest election victory.
Chanting and holding placards despite the weather, demonstrators accused the long-serving leader of rigging the vote against opposition figure Bobi Wine, who has repeatedly rejected the result.
The protest highlights wider concerns about human rights in Uganda, where opposition activists and journalists have alleged intimidation, arrests and restrictions on dissent.
Protesters also directed anger at the British government, accusing the UK of enabling Museveni’s rule through international aid.
While the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) says it does not fund Uganda’s government directly, critics argue aid channelled through NGOs can still indirectly support the regime.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “The UK’s development programmes work to ensure that the most vulnerable in Ugandan society are better protected, promoting their economic empowerment, tackling regional instability, supporting refugees, and reducing poverty.
“The UK’s Bilateral Official Development Assistance does not go to the Government of Uganda.”
Featured image credit: Salem Abu-Zayed
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