A Ugandan court on Wednesday granted bail to a prominent civil rights activist whose detention late last year drew international criticism and intensified concerns about political repression surrounding the country’s recent general election.
Sarah Bireete, executive director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was released after a magistrate ruled that she met all legal conditions for bail, weeks after her arrest over comments questioning the credibility of Uganda’s voter register ahead of the January 15 polls.
Bireete was detained on December 30, shortly after raising concerns about the accuracy of voter data to be used in the election. Prosecutors later charged her with offenses linked to the alleged unlawful disclosure of voters’ information, accusations her supporters say were politically motivated.
Delivering the ruling in Kampala, Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko said the court was satisfied that Bireete had fulfilled the requirements for pretrial release.
“The applicant satisfied all the relevant requirements for the grant of bail,” Jatiko said.
Her detention came amid heightened tensions during the election period, which rights groups described as one of the most restrictive political environments Uganda has seen in years.
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Following her arrest, CCG said Bireete was being targeted for her advocacy work and efforts to challenge electoral processes.
In a statement at the time, the organization said she was being persecuted for helping to “amplify the voices of the oppressed and marginalized.”
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, called for her immediate and unconditional release, warning that her detention reflected a broader pattern of intimidation against activists, journalists, and opposition figures.
According to reporting by Reuters and the BBC, several opposition supporters and civil society actors were detained or harassed in the weeks leading up to the vote.
Uganda’s electoral commission declared President Yoweri Museveni the winner of the January 15 election, crediting him with 71.6% of the vote. Museveni has ruled the East African nation since 1986.
Opposition leader Bobi Wine, a former pop star turned politician, rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities and voter suppression. Wine has since gone into hiding, and the military has said it is seeking his arrest, according to local media reports.
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The government has defended the conduct of the election and dismissed claims of widespread abuses.
Rights groups and opposition parties have long accused Museveni’s government of using security forces to stifle dissent, particularly during election periods. The administration has repeatedly denied those allegations, insisting that arrests and prosecutions are carried out within the law.
Museveni, now 81 years old, is already Africa’s third longest-serving head of state. If he completes his current term, he will have been president for 45 years by 2031, a milestone that has renewed debate about democratic governance and term limits in Uganda.
Bireete is expected to continue facing legal proceedings related to the charges against her, though her release has been welcomed by activists as a partial victory.