Police and security agencies are facing mounting criticism over the arrest and continued detention of governance activist Sarah Bireete, with her organisation accusing security forces of acting illegally and intimidating her family.
Bireete, the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was arrested on the afternoon of Tuesday, 30 December, after police officers surrounded her private residence in Kampala and took her into custody. She has since been held at Nateete police station, more than 48 hours later, without any publicly stated charge.
Addressing the media today, the CCG board of directors said Bireete’s detention was “blatantly illegal and uncalled for”, noting that police had failed to explain the reasons for her arrest.
“The only official statement issued by Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawaala did not disclose any alleged crimes for which Sarah was arrested,” said Godber Tumushabe, the CCG board chair, adding that her continued detention violated Article 23 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to be informed immediately of the reasons for arrest and access to a lawyer.
The board criticised police for failing to summon Bireete for questioning, despite her being a well-known public figure.
“Sarah Bireete is a known public figure and a recognised pro democracy and human rights activist,” Tumushabe said.
“She has a known place of abode and has never failed to respond to police summons. It is therefore crude and a lack of regard for Sarah’s personal liberty that the Uganda police ignored the standard procedures of investigation.”
Miria Matembe, an elder and activist, said Bireete had been arrested because of being outspoken against bad governance, which she said should not be a crime.
“I am here with a deeply broken heart. I am broken-hearted because what was being done during the Amin and Obote regimes is what Museveni is doing,” she said.
Matembe feared that Bireete could be subjected to rape and other inhuman acts during detention.
Anthony Asiimwe, the vice president of the Uganda Law Society, said Bireete’s arrest was evidence that the police had been turned into an outfit of breaking the law.
“Our police is one of the most unprofessional institutions. Why should I beg to see someone who is in police custody?” Asiimwe wondered.
Tumushabe warned that her detention was disrupting the organisation’s operations, stressing that her work relied on peaceful expression.
“Sarah’s only weapon against injustice and current democratic reversals in Uganda and the region is her pen and voice. Through these tools, the voices of Ugandans and those suffering injustice and abuse are heard far and wide,” Tumushabe said.
Bireete is expected to be brought to Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court today.
