Human rights activist Sarah Bireete has been released on bail by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after spending nearly a month in prison on charges of unlawfully obtaining National Voter’s information.
The Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate, Winnie Nankya Jatiko, has granted Bireete a cash bail of Shs 1m, while each of her sureties is ordered to execute a non-cash bond of Shs10m.
Court has also directed Bireete to deposit her passport and barred her from leaving the country without the court’s permission.
Before granting her bail, the Magistrate ruled that the sureties were substantial, noting that they are public figures who have previously served in public offices.
The court has now fixed the case for hearing on February 27, 2026.
Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, was on January 2nd, 2026 charged and remanded to Luzira Prison.
She is accused of unlawfully obtaining and disclosing voters’ information without the consent of the Electoral Commission.
According to the charge sheet, the alleged offences were committed between January and December 2025 in Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts, contrary to Section 35 of the Data Protection and Privacy Act.
Bireete however denies the charges and maintains her innocence.
