PH
Ugandan police on Monday arrested the main challenger of President Yoweri Museveni in this week’s elections, the candidate’s campaign team said.
Kizza Besigye, 59, was detained as he was going to address rallies in central Kampala, said Wilberforce Kyambadde, the head of his campaign team.
“We do not know the nature of the charges against him,” he added.
Police also “fired tear gas among Dr Besigye’s supporters and beat up and injured many of our supporters,” Kyambadde said.
Police did not issue an immediate comment.
The arrest was the second for Besigye ahead of Thursday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Besigye, Museveni’s former physician and an ex-army colonel, has lost to him three presidential elections which the opposition says were rigged.
The third main contender, Museveni’s former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, has also been temporarily arrested.
Human rights groups accuse the 71-year-old president of using force to extend his three decades in power.
