This Article is From Jun 19, 2014

Two Held Over Piglets in Ugandan Parliament

Two Held Over Piglets in Ugandan Parliament

Representational image

Kampala: Police in Uganda have arrested two men who managed to infiltrate the east African nation's parliament and drop off two piglets in a protest against corruption, authorities said on Wednesday.

"We got the two youths and the piglets. They are in our custody as we investigate how they went through security," police spokesman Fred Enanga told AFP.

Officials said the protestors had painted the piglets in the colours of the ruling party of President Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa's longest serving leaders, and had written slogans insulting MPs as corrupt on the animals.

"The youths are being interrogated to establish their motive," said a parliament spokesperson.

Eyewitness Ruth Namukasa said the two protestors were apparently unemployed, and called themselves the "jobless brotherhood group".

"One of the piglets had been painted with words, 'yes, MPigs, corruption constituency,'" she added.

Uganda has been the subject of frequent criticism from foreign donors over allegations of rampant corruption, although protests in the country by Ugandans are rare.

Earlier this year MPs caused a storm after it emerged they had demanded a massive raise in their salaries, already 60 times higher than most state employees, and that the country's chief auditor had complained deputies had failed to account for millions of dollars of expenses.
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