Ugandan security agencies have arrested former Security Minister Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde and charged him with treason, police said Friday.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said in a statement that Tumukunde was arrested on Thursday night for calling on the support of a neighboring country to remove President Yoweri Museveni from power.

Tumukunde's arrest comes barely a week after he announced his intentions to challenge Museveni in the 2021 presidential polls.

"The arrest follows his utterances in a series of radio and television interviews, which seek to foster hatred that might lead to inter-community violence, fomenting and glorifying violence in general," said Enanga.

"He in addition, calls on the support of a neighboring country to support him in removing the current leadership with or without the ballot," Enanga said.

He said Tumukunde's arrest should act as a deterrent to others who would like to promote violence in the country.