Reuters witnesses saw Besigye, who has been spearheading protests against rising transport and food costs, being bundled into a police van, carted off to a police station before being transferred to another police post beside a heavily guarded courthouse on the outskirts of the capital Kampala.
This is the third time Besigye has been arrested in less than two weeks for leading the “walk to work” protests. He has been charged with inciting unrest on two previous occasions and released on bail, but some of his associates have been detained.
President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, defeated Besigye at the ballot box for a third straight election in February, and had warned his rival he would not be allowed to lead any demonstrations.
“All I can say is that we have him. He attracted a crowd and when it started being rowdy, we came in and decided to arrest him and create order again,” said a police spokesman, Vincent Ssekate.
Analysts said the protest was unlikely to prevail.
“The walkers may demonstrate for another week or so but Museveni wants to show he’s in charge. He will prevail through sheer use of force,” Bernard Tabaire, a Ugandan political commentator.
“All the figures show inflation is going up ... They are using it for political means but it is legitimate (to do so). This is not economic, it’s political but the response is neither economic or political — it’s force.”
Military police and riot police trucks patrolled the gridlocked streets after Besigye, whose right hand was heavily bandaged following an injury sustained in the second protest last Thursday, was detained. Several witnesses said the law enforcement agencies also fired rubber bullets.
Museveni blames drought for pushing up food costs and soaring global oil prices for the hike in local fuel costs for Uganda’s double digit inflation rate.
The east African nation’s consumer price index jumped to 11.1 percent in March and is expected to keep rising in coming months.
“Life is hard with the high prices of food and everything. Museveni is rich. I am not,” said opposition supporter Elvis Semuwemba.
Inflation rates across the east African region, including neighbors Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda, have risen in recent months due to increases in the cost of food and fuel.
On Tuesday, hundreds marched peacefully in Kenya’s capital Nairobi and Mombasa over rising fuel and food prices, a day after their government cut fuel taxes to cushion the impact of the rise in prices.
On Thursday, Besigye agreed to pleas by local elders that he travel by car to avoid further clashes with the police and the military. But the crowd marching beside his car swelled, and he got out of his vehicle and started walking, sparking his arrest.
