Kampala, Uganda – January 2, 2026 — The Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG) has issued a damning statement condemning the illegal arrest and ongoing detention of its Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Bireete, by Ugandan police. Dr. Bireete was seized from her home on December 30, 2025, in a raid conducted without a warrant, and has since been held incommunicado at Nateete Central Police Station. Over 48 hours after her arrest, authorities have yet to disclose any charges, violating constitutional protections under Article 23(3), which mandates that detainees be promptly informed of the reasons for arrest and allowed access to legal counsel.
“The manner of Dr. Bireete’s arrest and continued detention is a gross violation of due process and an affront to the rule of law,” the CCG Board stated. “She is a known public figure with a fixed residence and has never evaded lawful police summons. The use of force and unlawful search tactics—including the confiscation of personal devices belonging to her teenage sons—is both cruel and deeply traumatizing.” The police raid, carried out without judicial authorization, also breached constitutional safeguards against arbitrary searches.
Legal access to Dr. Bireete has been severely restricted. Attempts by her legal team to secure bail have been dismissed without justification, and her family struggled even to deliver basic needs like breakfast on January 1. “This is not the conduct of a professional police force,” the statement emphasized.
A leading pro-democracy activist, Dr. Bireete has been instrumental in advancing constitutionalism across Africa. The CCG asserts that her detention is politically motivated, aimed at stifling critical voices. “Sarah’s only weapons are her pen and voice—tools that amplify the cries of the marginalized.”
The organization commended the Uganda Law Society, led by President Isaac Semakade and Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, for their solidarity, alongside global partners and digital rights advocates. The CCG demands Dr. Bireete’s immediate and unconditional release, calling on the Ugandan government to uphold its human rights obligations.
