Fistfights and chair-throwing broke out in Uganda's parliament on Tuesday ahead of a debate on whether to grant long-serving President Yoweri Museveni another term in office, local television showed.

The clashes involved government and opposition lawmakers.

Ahead of the parliament session, which started at around 1130 GMT, police fired teargas to disperse protests by students and other opposition activists, police spokesman Emirian Kayima told Reuters.

A leading opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, was arrested after he attempted to mobilise protesters to march on parliament, Kayima said.