Opposition presidential candidate arrested, state crackdown grows

Pulse Staff 10:11 - 15 October 2015

Kizza Besigye, leader of opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), gestures as he speaks to the media announcing his candidature for the 2016 presidential election in the capital Kampala September 25, 2015. REUTERS/James Akena

Rights activists and government critics say intimidation and harassment of opposition supporters and leaders is growing as presidential polls due between February and March 2016 near.

Ugandan police arrested opposition presidential aspirant Kizza Besigye on Wednesday as he prepared to travel to the country's eastern region for a rally, a move seen as escalating a crackdown on incumbent leader, Yoweri Museveni's opponents.