Videos and images of the women marching down the streets of the capital with the words “No Corruption” painted on their almost naked bodies went viral before the police nabbed them.
The women, members of the Uganda Freedom Movement, chanted “Save the women, save the children, save the future, and end corruption,” even as officers dragged them away in front of the parliament building.
The protesters are part of a broader Gen-Z anti-corruption movement in Kampala, which has recently adopted nudity as a tactic to attract attention to corruption within the country’s leadership.
They also demand accountability from the Kampala City Council Authority for the landslide of a massive rubbish dump that recently killed 35 people and left 28 missing.
The Gen-Z-led protests were also inspired by widespread anti-government demonstrations in neighboring Kenya this year.
The naked protesters appeared in court dressed and were remanded to Luzira High Security Prison. Their next hearing is scheduled for September 12.
They were charged with causing “annoyance, obstruction, or inconvenience to the public in the exercise of common rights.”
Uganda’s Freedom Movement has been trying for some time to raise the nation’s awareness about the link between graft and high taxes, accusing the government of stealing this way.
“Without exorbitant taxes, they would have nothing to steal. It’s obvious that they unjustifiably hike taxes with an intent of getting what to steal,” the movement’s activist, Mbaziira John Snr, posted on X.
“To kill corruption, we need nothing more than to reject the exorbitant taxation,” he wrote.
Another Freedom Movement activist, Namara Claire, argued that if Uganda were free from exorbitant taxation and corruption, essential services like healthcare and education would thrive.
“We must act against excess taxes until our money is put to its correct use, not lining the pockets of corrupt officials,” she concluded.
Corruption is a major issue in Uganda, which ranks a low 141st out of 180 countries on the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. In response, the U.S. and the U.K. have imposed sanctions on several Ugandan officials, including parliamentary speaker Anita Among and two former ministers, in a bid to pressure the government to address the corruption crisis.