Ugandan opposition 'intimidated'

President Museveni is accused of running a dirty campaign

Uganda's main presidential challenger has said that President Yoweri Museveni is conducting a campaign of persistent intimidation.

Kizza Besigye accused Mr Museveni of personally putting members of his campaign team under pressure to switch sides.

Museveni's team has approached every person on our task force

Kizza Besigye

The statement comes less than two weeks before the country's presidential elections.

President Museveni has been in power since 1986 and will be facing his stiffest challenge yet in the 7 March poll.

Allegation

Mr Besigye said: the president's team had approached every person on his task force.

"Museveni has met some of them personally and repeatedly promised to give them positions in government and money [if they change sides]," he said.

"They have all declined and once they decline, the intimidation begins."

Kizza Besigye presents the president with his toughest challenge

Mr Besigye said that his campaign's chief publicist, Betty Kamiya, had to take leave from her job after being harassed by officials.

The remarks come at the end of a week in which a key member of Mr Besigye's team, Major Okwor Rabwoni, was arrested and released.

Since then Major Rabwoni has said that he has withdrawn from campaigning.

The campaign so far has been marred by allegations of intimidation, but the president has denied any involvement.