KAMPALA, Uganda – The leading opposition politician in Uganda was arrested Thursday after police prevented him from leading a demonstration here, only a day after being granted bail from a previous arrest over a similar protest.
Dr. Kizza Besigye, a retired army colonel and former confidante to President Yoweri Museveni, was hauled out of his car and members of his staff were severely beaten after a two-hour standoff with police in central Kampala as Mr. Besigye was driving slowly to work from his home, followed by hundreds of supporters on foot.
A Ugandan police spokeswoman said officers tried to get Mr. Besigye to use a different route as he entered the city center but that the politician refused. As the crowds built up, a plainclothes officer shattered Mr. Besigye’s passenger window with a hammer and sprayed Mr. Besigye in the face with pepper spray, Reuters reported, before officers detained him.
“We tried to engage him, so that he could continue alone, but he resisted,” said the police spokeswoman, Judith Nabakooba. “His supporters shouted, they started becoming rowdy, and started hitting vehicles with stones.”
“For security reasons,” Ms. Nabakooba said, “we decided to use the last option, which was to get him out of his vehicle.”
Mr. Besigye, who was released on bail Wednesday after being arrested last Thursday for leading protests, had attempted to stage a fifth-round of his walk-to-work demonstration against rising commodity prices Thursday morning, but was stopped by police outside his gate. Mr. Besigye then got into his car and drove into town instead, with crowds trailing behind.
The arrest on Thursday was the fourth in recent weeks for Mr. Besigye. The American government has condemned the crackdown on street protestors, urging the Ugandan government to respect civil liberties.
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