Appeal for calm after two killed in election violence

Ugandan opposition leader Kiiza Besigye has appealed to his supporters to remain calm after an incident in the capital city, Kampala, in which two people were shot dead and four others wounded by an armed man.

The shooting occurred on Wednesday in the Kampala suburb of Mengo, where Besigye was meeting officials of Buganda, Uganda's largest ethnic kingdom.

Witnesses said a large crowd of about 3,000 Besigye supporters grew angry when a vehicle carrying some men - among them a suspected security agent - attempted to push its way through the throng.

"They tried to force their way through the crowd, but people refused," said Charles Mugerwa, a witness. "One of them [the men in the car] pulled out a gun and fired in the air. When the people started throwing stones at them, he jumped out of the vehicle and started firing at close range."

"Two people were killed, while four others were injured. We are still investigating what triggered off the commotion that ended up in the shooting," said Patrick Ogwanga, a police spokesman.

Besigye, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change, is the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni in the 23 February elections. He was unharmed in the shooting.

Prior to Wednesday’s incident, the campaigns had been largely free from violence, although more than 430 cases of election crime - including fraud and assault - had been reported across the country.