Military armoured personnel carriers patrolled the streets around parliament in images broadcast by NTV Uganda television after police banned the protest, citing intelligence showing criminally-minded youth may hijack it to loot and vandalise.
All roads to parliament were blocked off, with security officials permitting access only by lawmakers and other parliamentary staff.
Those with businesses near parliament were experiencing difficulty getting to their premises, the Reuters witness said.
Defying ban
"It's like a war zone," Edwin Mugisha, who works in Kampala, told Reuters, describing the patrols around parliament and other roads.
There have been reports that small groups of the protesters had come out in Kampala despite a ban on demonstrations.
Ugandan security forces detained a number of young people in downtown Kampala who were taking part in the banned rally.
A Reuters witness saw the detentions being made, while a video posted by NTV Uganda on the X social media platform also showed a small group of young people being intercepted and detained by police while they were marching.
Prosecution debate
On Monday police sealed off the offices of the biggest opposition party, accusing it of mobilising for the protests, and detained some party officials, including its lawmakers.
The party denied it was organising the march, but said it supported it.
Opposition leaders and rights activists have long accused President Museveni of failing to prosecute corrupt senior officials.
Museveni has repeatedly denied condoning corruption and says whenever there is sufficient evidence culprits are prosecuted, for example lawmakers and even ministers.
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