Uganda criminally charges leader of protests over prices

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been criminally charged by authorities who accuse him of inciting violence with his efforts to stage street protests against rising commodity prices that the government largely blames on the war in Ukraine. Besigye, a serial campaigner against the government of longtime President Yoweri Museveni, has been arrested hundreds of times over the years. He has rarely faced charges in court. Museveni, an authoritarian and U.S. ally on regional security who has been in power since 1986, told Ugandans in a recent speech to substitute cassava for bread. That drew scorn from many.