Sarah Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), is expected to appear before Buganda Road Court today following her arrest by security agencies on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.
The arrest followed public comments made by Bireete last week criticising the decision to restrict the importation of StarLink internet infrastructure without express authorisation from the Chief of Defence Forces.
In a social media post, she urged citizens to bypass the restrictions using unspecified “cheat codes,” a statement that security officials reportedly interpreted as encouraging circumvention of state controls.
Her post also suggested that security agencies could seek to block internet access during the January 15, 2026 national elections and implied that StarLink could be used to bypass such restrictions.
Bireete is a prominent lawyer, human rights defender and election observer. She is a founding partner and Executive Director of CCG, a Kampala-based constitutional and governance watchdog involved in civic education, electoral integrity monitoring and accountability advocacy.
She also serves as Chairperson of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (EHORN) and the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM).
In the past, she has been a vocal critic of the involvement of security forces in political processes, particularly the deployment of the military during election periods. She is currently engaged in civil society monitoring activities linked to the 2026 electoral process.
Her arrest comes amid heightened national debate over civil liberties, the role of security agencies in domestic political affairs, and preparations for the upcoming elections.
