Miria Matembe with her husband
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Even with her network of friends and associates, she couldn’t elude the sniff of security operatives, as she stayed on their radar until when she was apprehended. Veteran politician and women’s rights activist Miria Matembe’s brief escape from security came to an end after authorities tracked her to a friend’s house where she had been hiding for two days following a raid on her home.
Her arrest capped an intense manhunt that saw security agencies widen their search beyond her immediate family to include close friends and associates, eventually piecing together her movements before taking her into custody.
According to family members, Matembe was arrested on June 28, 2026, and immediately transferred to Mbuya, where she received medication before being placed under state custody.
Relatives narrate ordeal
Media personality JK Kazoora, Matembe’s nephew, confirmed the arrest, saying security officers apprehended her about two hours before he addressed the media.
“As of two hours ago, she was arrested and was taken to Mbuya. They have given her medication. From tomorrow or Tuesday we shall know if she is going to Luzira or be released,” Kazoora said.
Matembe’s ordeal began on the morning of June 26 when heavily armed security personnel raided her home in Luzira. Fortunately for her, she was not at home.
According to Kazoora, the former Ethics and Integrity minister had left home for her routine morning jog when she received a warning that security operatives had surrounded her residence.
Realising she was the target of the operation, Matembe immediately changed course and avoided returning home.
Kazoora said she initially hid among nearby trees until security activity around her home subsided.
“She received a tip-off about the raid while jogging. Instead of returning home, she hid in nearby trees before seeking shelter elsewhere,” he explained.
After emerging from her hiding place, Matembe reportedly sought temporary refuge at a neighbour’s home, where she remained for a short time before relocating to a friend’s residence in an effort to avoid detection.
Her movement between safe houses allowed her to remain out of sight for two days as security personnel continued searching for her.
Security net widened
Meanwhile, security agencies intensified their efforts to locate the veteran politician by widening investigations to include people believed to be close to her.
Among those caught up in the operation were human rights advocate Dr. Sarah Bireete and lawyer Eunice Musiime, both known associates of Matembe.
The two women were briefly arrested and questioned by security operatives before later being released.
Although it remains unclear whether they were directly linked to the final breakthrough, Kazoora believes security eventually uncovered Matembe’s location after monitoring communications between family members and her close associates.
He revealed that he had personally contacted relatives and friends after receiving assurances from senior government officials that security agencies were no longer interested in arresting Matembe and that it was safe for her to emerge from hiding.
“Yesterday I spoke to senior government officials who assured me that security was no longer interested in Auntie and that she could safely leave hiding,” Kazoora said.
However, he believes those communications unintentionally exposed the network of people helping her remain concealed.
“I personally messaged the family members, but as of this morning they arrested two of Auntie’s friends. I think they forgot to use WhatsApp calls or Telegram and instead used normal telephone calls. They tracked them and got them in. These were the ones that revealed to security the whereabouts of Matembe,” he said.
Temporary shelter busted
Acting on the information gathered, security operatives traced Matembe to the friend’s house where she had been staying and arrested her without any reported resistance.
The family says she was immediately transported to Mbuya, where she was given medication before authorities determine whether she will be formally charged, transferred to Luzira Prison or released.
The circumstances surrounding the raid on her Luzira home remain unclear.
Her husband, Nehemiah Matembe, said security personnel searched the residence without identifying themselves or explaining the purpose of the operation before leaving empty-handed after failing to find her.
The family subsequently reported her missing, fearing she may have been intercepted while out jogging, only to later discover that she had successfully evaded arrest and remained in hiding.
Matembe, one of the architects of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution and a former cabinet minister, has in recent years emerged as one of the government’s most outspoken critics. She has repeatedly criticised alleged human rights abuses, enforced disappearances and what she describes as the growing influence of the military in the country’s political affairs.
Family members remain hopeful that authorities will clarify the reasons for her detention and determine her next course of action.
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