An uproar has ensued among lawyers under their umbrella body the Uganda Law Society (ULS), arising from the charges slapped against the out spoken human rights activist Dr. Sarah Bireete, seeing her remanded to Luzira prison, following her detention since her arrest in December 2025.
Dr. Bireete was charged before the Buganda road court where she had been arraigned on Friday 2nd, with unlawful obtaining or disclosing of personal data, belonging to the Electoral Commission.
The charges were read to her by the Buganda road court grade one magistrate Winnie Jatiko Nankya, but denied them.
State alleges that between January and December 2025, Bireete 49, Munyankole by tribe, a lawyer and resident of Kiwango-Namwezi Village, Bukerere Parish, Goma Sub-county in Mukono District, and others still at large accessed or shared National Voter Information in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts without authorization, contrary to section 35 (1) and (2) of the Data Protection and Privacy Act.
Bireete’s legal team was led by Jude Byamukama, while prosecution was represented by Joan Keko.
State attorney Keko asked court to adjourn the case, saying investigation into the matter was still going on, thus pushing it to 21st January when it will be coming up for further hearing.
Bireete’s lawyer Byamukama had informed court that they had instructions of applying for bail for their client. They were allowed to apply for bail but magistrate Nankya declined to give a ruling on it, saying prosecution needed time to respond to the application.
Nankya noted that prosecution deserved a right to make a reply to bail application given that this was the case brought to court by them.
She noted that it will be revisited come 21st January, which has sparked a sharp protest among the legal brains.
Lawyers Protest Charges
When Bireete was brought at Buganda road court, the Uganda Law Society vice president Stephen Asiimwe is one of the prominent figures that had come to express solidarity with her.
Shortly after the court decision, the society’s president Isaac Ssemakadde posted on his X platform, criticizing her further incarceration.
“The National Voter’s Roll is a public document. This is state capture” the head of Radical New Bar stated.
Ssemakadde decried the manner in which Bireete’s bail application ruling was deferred, justifying his recent leadership’s position breaking neutrality when they endorsed support for Bobi Wine in 2026 elections.
Bireete who is also the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was arrested on Tuesday 30 December from her home before she could be detained at Natete Police Station.
