Efforts to fight corruption through peaceful protest have been overshadowed by infighting among activists over the best course of action.
The dispute unfolded on Twitter, with activists exchanging heated words, each side claiming to have the superior plan.
Agora Discourse, led by journalist and lawyer Agather Atuhaire and including Dr. Spire Ssentongo and Godwin Toko, is known for exposing corruption and misappropriation of funds in Uganda’s parliament. They have been mobilizing people to collect funds to feed, medicate, and legally aid protesters who get arrested.
In contrast, PublicSquareEA, headed by Anthony Natif, believes the March2Parliament protest is misguided. Natif argues that dialogue is a more effective approach and opposes Agora’s efforts to pay bail for arrested protesters, suggesting it enriches the government accused of corruption.
“We shouldn’t see folks collecting money for bail or calling on people to work as ‘hired sureties,'” Natif said. “The very idea of a random internet person standing surety for someone defeats the idea of a surety as envisioned in our bail application guidelines. What happens if the state arrests 10,000 protesters and asks for 4 million in bail for each?”
In response, Agather Atuhaire said, “I think we should do everything, but we should not be dishonest and gaslighting. You have chosen your path. No need to drag others to justify your actions. Being invited by a third party on the same talk show with Nakalema surely can’t be the same as Nakalema inviting you for a meeting over God knows what. What you do isn’t dialoguing but dealing.”
Natif countered, “You can push a hyper-partisan, ‘Evil vs. Good’ narrative, and I respect that, but I also hope you respect PublicSquareEA’s decision to choose a nonpartisan route.”
The exchange highlights how propaganda and internal conflicts can be used by regimes to undermine political activism.
