Human rights lawyer and election observer Dr. Sarah Bireete has Friday been formally charged with unlawful obtaining or disclosing of personal data, contrary to Sections 35(1) and (2) of Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, Cap 97.
The charges, detailed in a police charge sheet from Kampala Metropolitan Police Headquarters (Ref: CPS KLA CRB 003/2026), accuse the 49-year-old of illegally handling national voter’s information processed by the Electoral Commission without prior consent.
According to the particulars of the offense, Dr. Bireete and others still at large allegedly committed these acts between January 2025 and December 2025 at various locations across Uganda, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso Districts.
The document, signed by the officer preferring the charge and a magistrate and seen by The Tower Post specifies that the data in question pertains to the National Voter’s Information, highlighting potential breaches tied to electoral processes.
This marks the first public disclosure of specific allegations since her high-profile arrest, shifting the narrative from vague “cyber-related offenses” to targeted data privacy violations that could carry significant penalties under Ugandan law.
Dr. Bireete’s arrest on December 30, 2025, unfolded dramatically when police and military forces besieged her Kampala home, prompting her to post on X: “My house is under siege by Police and Army.”
She was detained at Nateete Police Station, with initial police statements confirming custody but withholding charges, leading to accusations of procedural irregularities.
Her legal team reported no charge sheet was served until today’s court proceedings at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court, where bail applications are now underway.
The case has drawn sharp rebukes from domestic and international quarters. The Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), which Dr. Bireete chairs, expressed “serious concern” over her detention, viewing it as an attempt to undermine nonpartisan election oversight ahead of the January 15 polls.
Opposition leader Bobi Wine of the National Unity Platform offered solidarity, labeling the arrest a tactic to muzzle critics during a volatile election season marked by youth discontent and demands for transparency.
Rights groups like the Uganda Women’s Movement decried the “unconstitutional” detention, linking it to a pattern of arbitrary arrests amid President Yoweri Museveni’s bid for another term.
Regional bodies such as the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN) condemned the move, emphasizing Dr. Bireete’s role in advocating against issues like internet shutdowns and electoral violence.
This incident amplifies broader anxieties in Uganda’s political landscape, where the National Resistance Movement faces opposition challenges over economic hardships and democratic backsliding.
Dr. Bireete, as head of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, has been a staunch critic of government overreach, including calls for alternatives like Starlink to bypass potential poll-day internet restrictions.