Kampala man arrested for beating up an effigy

An effigy is an often life-size sculptural representation of a specific person, or a prototypical figure. Lately, the term is mostly used for the make-shift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain traditions around New Year, Carnival and Easter.

In European cultures, effigies were in the past also used for punishment in formal justice, when the perpetrator could not be apprehended, and in popular justice practices of social shaming and exclusion. Additionally, “effigy” is used for certain traditional forms of sculpture, namely tomb effigies, funeral effigies and coin effigies.

Today in Kampala, this practice emerged when unidentified man in a black T-shirt and tracksuit pants  went to Kampala Road and started flogging an effigy of a person he accused of engaging in election malpractice, stating that, “he should be punished for the crimes he has committed.”

Holding a stick and a loudspeaker, the man dressed in a black T-shirt, kept caning the effigy and stating that, “he should be punished for the crimes he has committed.” The effigy was dressed in a black suit and a green hat that looks like that of President Museveni. Police officers seized it and were seen dragging it behind them on the streets.

In May, 2020 one of the protesters who participated in the hanging effigy of Governor Andy Beshear at an armed rally on the State Capitol grounds has been fired. Neil Huffman Auto Group says they terminated the unidentified employee after an internal review. The Louisville auto dealer says it “does not condone threats of violence in any form.” The protester was identified by the Courier-Journal at Terry Bush. His dismissal was confirmed by his wife, Patsy Bush, the newspaper reported. That day, Governor Andy Beshear said the group was trying to create “fear and terror.”