The Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court has today morning granted bail to prominent human rights lawyer Ms Sarah Bireete, ending weeks of detention following her arrest on charges related to the alleged unlawful disclosure of voters’ personal data.
The Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatikko released Ms Bireete on a cash bail of Ugx 1 million, with non-cash sureties, and ordered her to surrender her passport to court as a condition of bail to restrict travel.
Ms Bireete, who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, was arrested on December 30th, 2025, days before Uganda’s January 15th elections, and charged under Data Protection and Privacy Act.
YhecProsecutors allege that between January and December 2025th. MS Bireete and others still at large unlawfully obtained or disclosed information from the National Voters Register without the consent of the Electoral Commission of Uganda, but she has denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.
The Court had remanded Ms Bireete to Luzira Prison after prosecutors sought more time to conclude investigations, and her lawyers argued that the continued detention was unjustified, citing her fixed residence, professional standing and willingness to comply with court conditions.
