Continued detention of an out spoken human rights defender Dr. Sarah Bireete has drawn serious concerns and reactions from various human rights defenders and political actors with all demanding her immediate un conditional release.
Dr. Bireete who is also the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was arrested on Tuesday from her home, in a joint operation conducted by the police and the military according to the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson Rachael Kawala who confirmed she was in the police custody.
Prior to her arrest, Bireete had made a series of social media posts in which she claimed that s her residence had been surrounded by the security personnel from the police and the army.
Now, notable among the political figures to criticise her detention is the former Leader of Opposition in Parliament Winnie Kiiza. Kiiza who used her X platform to voice out her concern, expressed what she called her worry to the direction which the country is taking.
“When targeted suppression and overt censorship of opposing views overtake our collective liberties, we all have a reason to worry” Kiiza posted.
It is against that background the former LoP demanded Bireete’s immediate un conditional release, saying she was not a criminal but a human rights advocate, before wondering how the country stooped so low to that extent.
The latest to demand Bireete’s detention are board members of her own led CCG NGO. In the statement dated 31 December 2025, the activists described her continued detention at Natete police station as un constitutional under article 23, which requires that, a person arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed immediately in a language that the person understands, of the reasons for the arrest, restriction or detention and of her right to a lawyer of his or her choice.
This was being stated in reference to the police spokesperson Kawala’s confirmation that no charges had been preferred against the detainee yet.
“We believe this arrest is a deliberate attempt to stifle one of the most prominent voices calling for government’s accountability and constitutionalism, send a chilling message to the pro-democracy and human rights activists who demand transparency in the electoral process” reads in part the statement.
They demanded immediate un conditional release or production of the suspect before a competent court as well as un fettered access for her legal team, before reminding the government that the right to express opinion is protected under the constitution.
