The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has released human rights activist Sarah Bireete after she spent one month in jail.
Bireete was granted bail on cash of Shs 1 million, with her sureties bonded Shs 10 million non-cash. Magistrate Winnie Nankya is barred from leaving the country without the court’s permission and must deposit her passport.
Bireete was arrested on December 30, 2025, over the alleged unlawful disclosure of National Voters’ Information.
Through her lawyers, led by Anthony Asiimwe, Vice President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Bireete applied for bail, arguing that she is a law-abiding citizen with a fixed residence and substantial sureties, and poses no risk of absconding. She also noted that she is a mother of young children who solely depend on her care.
Bireete cited her medical condition, hypertension, and pointed out that the offences she is charged with are bailable under the law, urging the court to release her while investigations are ongoing.
The prosecution had opposed the bail application, highlighting the sensitivity of the matter and requesting more time to verify the proposed sureties. The State argued that the four sureties lacked proof of financial capacity, dismissed Bireete’s medical claims on the grounds that prison authorities could manage her condition, and warned that her influence could lead to interference with witnesses.
According to the prosecution, Bireete, together with others still at large, allegedly, between January and December 2025, unlawfully obtained or disclosed National Voters’ Information at various locations across Uganda, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts. The data is controlled or processed by the Electoral Commission and was allegedly accessed without the Commission’s prior consent.
