UGANDAN opposition figure Kizza Besigye was charged with treason today, adding to legal troubles arising from allegations that he had plotted to remove President Yoweri Museveni by force.

Mr Besigye, who has been a presidential candidate four times, sat in a wheelchair as he faced the charges in a courtroom in the capital Kampala. Treason carries the death penalty in Uganda.

The 68-year-old has been in custody since November 16, when he went missing in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. Days later, he appeared before a military tribunal in Kampala to face charges of threatening national security.