There has been a hashtag making rounds on Twitter #8THMAY2023. The hashtag seems to be a promise for continuous riots until 10 demands listed in their press release are met. It is relatively unheard of to host a peaceful demonstration in Uganda.
In 2021; November riots claimed the lives of over 50 Ugandans. With such a precedent, Monday next week will likely not be a good day to be on the streets of Kampala unless you are interested in riots.
Disclaimer: The views below are not in any way associated with the editorial team. These are simply ideas that have been circulated on social media that you ought to know about so that you can plan for 8th May accordingly.
PRESS STATEMENT
The UGANDA FREEDOM ACTIVISTS would like to highlight the country on the following.
MAY 8th NATIONWIDE ECONOMIC PROTESTS
OUR DEMANDS.
Regarding the NATIONWIDE ECONOMIC PROTESTS, we have mobilized the entire country and we hope that everyone will stand up and participate in these demonstrations.
We want to encourage the business owners to close their businesses and join the protesters, the elites, and the drivers to leave their vehicles behind and we also invite government workers to join the economic protests.
We expect medical personnel and Uganda Red Cross to assist in helping our peaceful demonstrators countrywide without any hindrances from the security agencies.
Our DEMANDS are aimed at ensuring that Ugandans get better services and financial accountability.
We, therefore, have the following DEMANDS.
1. We want all government officials implicated in corruption to be arraigned in courts of law within 24hrs from 8th May.
2. We need immediate appointment of Central Bank governor.
3. We need immediate reduction in fuel prices, water and data prices.
4. We demand free electricity and water connection to people in the whole country.
5. We also demand immediate reduction in RDCs and government ministers.
6. We demand that all civil servants salaries be doubled, including military and Uganda police officers with immediate effect.
7. We also demand for immediate withdraw of serving military officers from Uganda police structures.
8. We demand for immediate arrest and trial of Electoral commission chairperson and his assistants.
9. We demand for electoral reforms and constitution amendment that streamlines electoral process bringing back term limits and age limits and restricting all those who participated in past election fraud and election violence from standing for any political position in the country.
10. Finally we demand that all people who were arrested on political grounds be freed on 8th May.
FAILURE TO FULFIL ALL OUR DEMANDS , WE SHALL CONTINUE TO PROTEST UNTIL OUR DEMANDS ARE MET. We, therefore, inform the police and all security agencies to protect peaceful protesters. We shall not tolerate any form of bartering, shooting, or arresting our peaceful protesters.
ALL officers and commanders who will participate in acts of human rights violations will take personal responsibility for crimes against human life. We hence inform the DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY IN UGANDA to watch the activities of officers and their commanders who violate the rights of citizens so that the culprits can be held responsible and punished under international law.
The peaceful economic protest is totally for Ugandans and we hope that all people within and outside Uganda can stand up together to demand for a better country.
TOGETHER WE CAN
SOCIAL MEDIA #8thMayUgandaProtests. FOR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. SPOKESPERSON UGANDA FREEDOM ACTIVISTS. 1′ May 2023
