Uganda president vows stern action against rioters

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday vowed tough action against protesters following riots in the capital city, Kampala, last week that left 14 people dead.

“The time for jokes is over. Whoever participates in a riot, burning or destroying or killing, will be dealt with harshly.

The law must be followed,” Museveni said while visiting a police station torched during the riots.

About 600 people were arrested and more than 200 of them charged on Monday in connection with the protest against the government’s move to block the traditional king from visiting a rural district outside Kampala.

Ronal Muwenda Mutebi, the king of the Baganda—Uganda’s most populous ethnic group—was to visit the county north-east of Kampala last weekend, but the trip was disallowed for fears it would stoke violence.—AFP