A prominent lawyer, human rights defender and election observer Dr Sarah Bireete has been arrested after the security surrounded her residence in Kampala, in an incident that has drawn sharp attention amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Ms Bireete has been actively immersed in civil society monitoring activities related to Uganda’s 2026 electoral process, including early assessments of the political environment, citizen mobilisation and advocacy around electoral integrity.
Ms Bireete who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, alerted the public through her social media by posting that her house was under siege by Police and Army and her close associates later confirmed that she was taken into custody and is currently detained at Central Police Station in Kampala.
The Uganda Police Force has subsequently confirmed that Dr Bireete was arrested and is in police custody and will be arraigned before court in due course.
Efforts to reach Ms Bireete directly were unsuccessful, with associates reporting that her known phone numbers became unreachable following the siege at her residence.
