By Jumah Kakomo
The Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Dr. Sarah Bireete, has been remanded to Luzira Prison following her arraignment before Buganda Road Court, sparking renewed calls for the resignation of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abbas Byakagaba.
Dr. Bireete was charged with unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal voter data without the consent of the Electoral Commission, contrary to Sections 35(1) and (2) of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, Cap 97. The charges, filed under Police Form 53 (Ref: CPS K’LA CRB 003/2026), allege that between January and December 2025, Dr. Bireete and others still at large accessed or shared national voter information in Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts without authorization. She is expected to return to court on January 21, 2026, for bail hearing and further proceedings.
Following her remand, the CCG Board Chairperson, Godber Tumushabe, addressed the media at the organization’s headquarters in Ntinda, Kampala, accusing the IGP of failing to professionally manage and control the police force. Tumushabe cited what he described as illegal arrest and detention procedures used against Dr. Bireete, calling them unconstitutional and unjustified.
Dr. Bireete was arrested from her home in Kiwango-Namwezi Village, Bukerere Parish, Goma Sub-county in Mukono District on December 30, 2025, and detained at Natete Police Station, a fact earlier confirmed by Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala. Tumushabe noted that Dr. Bireete had been held for more than 48 hours without being produced before court, in violation of Article 23(3) of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to be informed of the reasons for arrest and access to legal representation.
Senior citizen and human rights activist Dr. Miria Matembe also condemned the police conduct, describing Dr. Bireete as a prominent pro-democracy advocate with a known residence and a consistent record of honoring police summons. She said the police ignored standard investigative procedures that require suspects to be summoned rather than subjected to abrupt arrests.
Matembe further warned of what she termed a growing pattern of intimidation and excessive force by the police, particularly against citizens with dissenting political views, while senior officials are treated with leniency.
“We call upon Uganda Police to stop using arrests to bully, harass, and intimidate citizens, especially human rights defenders and pro-democracy activists,” Matembe said.
The Vice President of the Uganda Law Society, Asiimwe Anthony, echoed these concerns, stating that lawyers, family members, and colleagues were denied adequate access to Dr. Bireete following her arrest. He added that the police initially failed to clearly communicate the charges against her.
Asiimwe also raised alarm over reports that Dr. Bireete struggled to access basic necessities, including meals, while in custody, describing this as unprofessional and inconsistent with the standards expected of a modern police force.
He urged the government to uphold freedom of expression and protect civic space, warning that silencing civil society actors erodes public trust and weakens governance.
“A regime that fears its people is a danger to both itself and the people it claims to govern,” Asiimwe said.
