Staff ReporterThe Ugandan security forces were deployed in the capital Kampala to stop sporadic protests over the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi – a musician and opposition lawmaker popularly known as Bobi Wine.
Demonstrators burned tyres, threw stones and erected roadblocks, while soldiers and police officers were seen speeding through the city centre in pick-up trucks.
In parts of Kampala, security officers shot rounds of live bullets into the air and fired tear gas to disperse crowds.
Several people have been detained, including a Reuters photojournalist covering the protests who has since been released.
Tension has been mounting in Kampala following the detention of Mr Kyagulanyi and reports that he had been tortured while in custody – a claim President Yoweri Museveni denies.
He was arrested alongside 32 others during a heated by-election campaign in the northern town of Arua. Authorities say opposition lawmakers led supporters to attack the President’s convoy.
Mr Kyagulanyi was charged in military court last week over allegations of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition. Many see the charges as politically motivated.
