20110411
reuters

KAMPALA (Reuters) - Ugandan police charged Uganda's main opposition leader and detained others as they prepared to march in protest over rising food and fuel prices in the east African country, police said on Monday.

Police charged Kizza Besigye, President Yoweri Museveni's closest rival in February elections, with inciting unrest after arresting him near his home in the capital Kampala. A Reuters witness said Besigye was bundled into a police vehicle.

Civil society and opposition parties were planning to hold a "Walk to Work" protest on Monday over rising food and fuel prices in the east African country.

"Besigye has been charged for inciting violence and refusal to take lawful orders from police, and has been subsequently released on bail and he is to appear in court again on May 5," David Mpanga, his lawyer, said.

Inspector General of Police, Kale Kayihura, said nine opposition politicians were arrested as they attempted to walk from their homes to their offices in the city centre.

"Reliable information indicated that they were to converge ... and hoped to have gathered enough masses to go the Constitutional Square (in the city centre)," he told a news conference.

"What these politicians were doing was not an innocent walk. It was an organised procession and these people wanted to demonstrate."

Most of the clashes between the police and civilians took place in the outer reaches of the city and the centre of the capital remained largely calm under heavy security guard.