Protesters fled as military police moved in At least two protesters have been shot dead by Ugandan police after they tried to stop the president from visiting the site of a fire at a royal mausoleum. The protesters booed President Yoweri Museveni and set up a barricade to stop him from reaching the tombs at Kasubi. The fire destroyed the tombs - a Unesco heritage site built in the 19th Century for kings of the Buganda region. Supporters of Mr Museveni and Buganda's King Ronald Mutebi have been at loggerheads since riots last year. They fell out after the king - whose role is largely ceremonial - accused the government of blocking him from visiting a part of his kingdom. It is something that we have built and kept and maintained for our children and grandchildren and many generations unborn
Medard Ssegona Lubega
Buganda official
In pictures: Kasubi tombs fire At least 20 people died in riots linked with that incident. And angry protesters and royal advisers have said they believe the tomb fire might have been arson. Mr Museveni, who eventually gained access to the fire scene, promised to investigate the claims. But he said protesters had interfered with the "scene of the crime", making it difficult to find out how the fire was caused. King Ronald also visited the scene and called for a week's mourning. Buganda official Medard Ssegona Lubega described the fire as the "second biggest tragedy" in the kingdom's history. "There are many men of our fallen kings lie in this house, which is now down to ashes," he told the BBC's Network Africa. "It is something that we have built and kept and maintained for our children and grandchildren and many generations unborn." Buganda is the largest of Uganda's four ancient kingdoms. They were abolished in 1966 but reinstated by Mr Museveni's government in 1993. However, he restored them only as cultural institutions with no political power. Supporters of King Ronald believe he should have more power and influence than Mr Museveni allows.
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At least two people in Uganda were killed on Wednesday, after clashes between police and protestors at a royal mausoleum.

The incident occurred at Kasubi, near the Ugandan capital of Kampala, when protestors attempted to stop the country's president, Yoweri Museveni from visiting the tomb site, which was on fire. They set up a barricade and booed him, blocking his motorcade. The fire had destroyed a large portion of the tombs, which are as much as 128 years old. They are revered by the Buganda tribe, the largest in Uganda.

There are accusations that the blaze was started intentionally.  Kampala-based journalist Malcolm Webb commented about the incident to Al Jazeera.  "The tombs of their kings ... was burnt to the ground.  They suspect it was arson.  I've seen four people who were injured ...  But the crowd has been largely chased away."

The president pledged that he would look into the accusations of arson, although he commented that the demonstrators at the "scene of the crime" might have interfered, making an investigation more difficult. "I am suspicious. This could be arson. The problem is the place has been tampered with. ... But we are going to investigate and get to the cause," Musveni told the mausoleum caretakers.

Judith Nabakooba, a spokesman for Ugandan security forces, told Agence France-Presse that "there was a group that confronted security at the scene before the arrival of the president. They were violent, when they confronted us we shot in the air to disperse them."

A Buganda official, Medard Ssegona Lubega, remarked about the blaze to the BBC Network Africa, saying: "There are many men of our fallen kings lie in this house, which is now down to ashes," he told the BBC's Network Africa It is something that we have built and kept and maintained for our children and grandchildren and many generations unborn."

Buganda is one of the country's four ancient kingdoms; the United Nations' cultural organisation, UNESCO, designated it as a world heritage site. It has been a popular tourist site, and its mausoleum contains the remains of four of Buganda's former kings, the last of which was buried in 1971.