David Rubongoya, the National Unity Platform Secretary General talking to Dr Bireete before being taken to Luzira Prison
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Civil society activist Dr Sarah Bireete has been remanded to Luzira Maximum Security Prison, as investigations on unlawful obtaining or disclosure of Electoral Commission data. She denied the charge before Buganda Court and returns January 21, 2026 for bail hearing.
Dr Bireete, the executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was on Friday produced before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court, where she was formally charged with offences related to the unauthorised access and sharing of voter information. She denied all the charges.
Prosecutors allege that Dr Bireete, 49, acted together with other persons still at large to unlawfully obtain or disclose data from the National Voters Register without the consent of the Electoral Commission (EC). According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences were committed between January and December 2025 in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts.
The prosecution informed court that investigations are still ongoing and asked for an adjournment to allow detectives to conclude their inquiries. Court observers noted that if the matter is deferred without a successful bail application, Dr Bireete could be remanded to Luzira, where suspects charged with serious offences are routinely held.
The charges arise in the wake of a recent Electoral Commission warning about an unauthorised website, registry.ugtally.com, which the EC said was falsely presenting itself as a voter verification platform for the 2026 elections. The Commission said the site was allegedly operated by an entity known as FANON.
In a public statement, the EC emphasised that it is the only body constitutionally mandated to compile, manage, maintain and update the National Voters Register. It warned that any unauthorised access, extraction or dissemination of voter data amounts to a criminal offence under Uganda’s electoral and data protection laws, and urged the public to rely solely on official EC channels for voter-related services.
Dr Bireete was arrested on December 30, 2025, and detained at Kampala Central Police Station. Her arrest followed a post on X in which she claimed that armed security personnel had surrounded her home, sparking concern among civil society groups and some opposition politicians, who described the arrest as heavy-handed.
Her lawyers, led by Jude Byamukama, told court they were ready to apply for her release on bail, arguing that she is a well-known public figure with a fixed place of residence and no history of absconding.
By press time, the presiding magistrate had stood over the matter for about 30 minutes to address outstanding procedural issues before delivering a ruling.
The court session was attended by several prominent figures, including National Unity Platform Secretary General David Rubongoya and former Leader of the Opposition Winnie Kiiza.
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