The Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, Dr Sarah Bireete, will spend at least another seven days on remand after the Buganda Road Magistrates Court deferred its ruling on her bail application, citing prosecution claims that her sureties are not substantial.
The decision disappointed Bireete’s legal team, who argue that delaying the ruling is unfair and unjustified, especially since the prosecution has already concluded its submissions.
Bireete appeared before Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko in a packed courtroom filled with her family members, friends, and colleagues, all hopeful that she would be released after nearly three weeks in custody.
During the hearing, the prosecution was given the opportunity to respond to the bail application and opposed it, arguing that the sureties presented by the defence did not meet the legal threshold of substantiality.
The state also dismissed claims that Bireete’s medical condition warranted her release on bail. Prosecutors contended that bail on medical grounds can only be considered if there is proof that the Uganda Prisons Service is unable to manage an accused person’s health needs.
In response, Bireete’s lawyer, Jude Byamukama, told court that denying his client bail would amount to treating her as already convicted.
He reminded the magistrate that the presumption of innocence is a constitutional right that every accused person is entitled to until proven guilty.
Following the court’s decision to adjourn the ruling to 28 January, defence lawyers criticised the delay, arguing that it should not take the court an additional seven days to determine a bail application after the prosecution has completed its submissions.
Dr Bireete was arrested on 30 December 2025 and was later arraigned before court on 2 January 2026. She is charged with unlawful obtaining or disclosure of personal data, contrary to Section 35(1) and (2) of the Data Protection and Privacy Act.
The case is expected to return to court on 28 January, when a ruling on her bail application will be delivered.
