The Buganda Road court has charged civil society activist and Executive Director of Centre and Constitutional Governance Dr Sarah Bireete 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.
According to the charge sheet, Dr Bireete and others still at large, between the month of January 2025 and December 2025, at various places within Uganda including Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso Districts, unlawfully obtained or disclosed data, National Voter’s Information, controlled or processed by the Electoral Commission, without prior consent of the said Electoral Commission.
Dr Bireete’s formal charging before the court on Friday comes days after her highly publicised arrest by joint security personnel from her home on December 30, 2025.
“My house is under siege by Police and Army” Dr Bireete posted on her X account prior to the arrest.
She was detained at Nateete Police Station, with initial police statements confirming custody but withholding charges, leading to accusations of procedural irregularities.
However 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 National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya has since in a post on his X account called the charges trumped up, aimed to silence her and keep her imprisoned during elections.
“…….She believes they’re doing this to silence her and ensure that she’s not free by the time Ugandans hold elections. The regime is very worried about her outspoken criticism and exposition of the gaps in the electoral process. Hopefully, the judiciary can do the sensible thing and grant her bail. Our President @HEBobiwine spoke to her on the phone and expressed solidarity with her” he said.
The charges come days after the Electoral Commission issued a public warning against the sharing of personal voter information on social media.
In a statement, the commission said complaints about the National Voters Register should be submitted directly to its offices and cautioned that publishing individuals’ photographs or personal details without consent violates data protection and privacy laws.
