Uganda police detain a former prime minister who is seeking the presidency

FILE - In this Thursday, March 31, 2011 file photo, Uganda's then Security Minister Amama Mbabazi meets with Russia's counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow. Ugandan police said Thursday, July 9, 2015 that they have detained former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who last month announced he would seek the presidency in elections next year, as he traveled from the Ugandan capital Kampala to a town in eastern Uganda where he wanted to consult with his supporters. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 21, 2012 file photo, opposition leader Kizza Besigye, center, gestures the party sign before being arrested for holding a rally in Kampala, Uganda. Ugandan police said Thursday, July 9, 2015 that they have detained former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who last month announced he would seek the presidency in elections next year, and also detained opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who planned to address two rallies, according to his aide. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera, File) (The Associated Press)

KAMPALA, Uganda – Ugandan police say they have detained former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who last month announced he would seek the presidency in elections next year.

Mbabazi was arrested as he traveled from the Ugandan capital, Kampala, to a town in eastern Uganda where he wanted to consult with his supporters.

Andrew Felix Kaweesi, an assistant inspector general of police, told reporters Thursday that he had taken "preventive action" against Mbabazi.

The arrest of Mbabazi, a former ally of long-serving Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni who now says this East African country wants a peaceful transfer of power, could stoke political tensions here.

Mbabazi announced last month that he would seek the presidency as a member of the ruling party. He was denounced by party officials who hope Museveni will run unopposed.