Human rights lawyer and Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Sarah Bireete, has been charged with the unlawful obtaining or disclosure of personal data.
Bireete, a 49-year-old Ugandan adult of Munyankole origin, is a lawyer and resident of Kiwango–Namwezi Village, Bukerere Parish, Goma Sub-county in Mukono District.
According to the prosecution, Bireete, together with others still at large, allegedly between January 2025 and December 2025, at various locations across Uganda including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts, unlawfully obtained or disclosed National Voters’ Information. The data is said to be controlled or processed by the Electoral Commission and was allegedly accessed without the Commission’s prior consent.
Bireete was arrested last Tuesday following a police raid on her home. Her arrest was later confirmed by the Uganda Police Force.
“My house is under siege by police and army,” Bireete wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Confirming the arrest, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Racheal Kawala said, “The Uganda Police Force would like to confirm the arrest of Sarah Bireete, Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance.”
Kawala added that Bireete is currently in police custody and will be arraigned in court in due course.
