Ugandan police force has said it would file criminal charges Thursday against two prominent opposition politicians accused of inciting violence in the capital, Kampala.

Deputy Police spokesman Patrick Onyango said the two accused politicians planned to use chaos and instability to bring about regime change in Uganda.

Dr. Kizza Besigye, former presidential candidate for the main opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), and Erias Lukwago, the embattled Lord Mayor of Kampala city, were detained Tuesday night and are in police custody.

Onyango said the politicians failed to acquire the necessary permit for the rally, despite repeated calls for them to postpone the gathering.

The politicians were charged with inciting violence after attempting to address an “illegal rally.”

Lukwago faces expulsion from office after a tribunal accused him of incompetence and abuse of office he however denied the accusations which he described as politically motivated by the government. 
                 
Onyango explained that Besigye created disturbances, specifically traffic congestion, in downtown Kampala and brought business activities to a halt.

“He went straight in the middle of the road in the middle of the Kampala city, got out of his vehicle, [and] started calling people to cause chaos. Imagine addressing people in the middle of the road? So we couldn’t allow that,” said Onyango.

But critics say President Yoweri Museveni’s government is using state institutions like the police and the courts to intimidate and harass opponents. They also accuse the administration of undermining the constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and association.

Onyango said the police are waiting for the advice of the director of public prosecutions in order to begin proceedings against the two politicians