Bobi Wine Condemns Sarah Bireete’s Arrest

National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has strongly condemned the arrest of prominent human rights lawyer and civil society activist Sarah Bireete, accusing security agencies of targeting government critics ahead of the 2026 general elections.

Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after police and military personnel surrounded and raided her residence in Kampala. The Uganda Police Force later confirmed that she is in custody and will be arraigned before court in due course, although no charges have so far been disclosed.

In a statement, Kyagulanyi described Bireete’s arrest as part of a wider pattern of repression against civil society actors, journalists, and human rights defenders during election periods.

“Every election cycle, the regime targets civil society leaders, journalists, and human rights activists with arrests, abductions, torture, and deportation,” Kyagulanyi said. He noted that Bireete has been outspoken in condemning what he termed excesses and brutality by security agencies, particularly their involvement in political and electoral processes.

Kyagulanyi called for Bireete’s immediate release and urged authorities to respect constitutional freedoms, the rule of law, and the rights of citizens to freely participate in governance matters without intimidation.

Sarah Bireete is a well-known figure in Uganda’s civil society and governance space. She is the founding partner and Executive Director of CCG, a constitutional and governance watchdog that focuses on electoral integrity, civic education, rule of law, and accountability.

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). Through these roles, she has consistently raised concerns about the militarisation of elections, the conduct of security agencies, and the protection of civil liberties.

Her arrest comes at a time of heightened political activity, as the country prepares for the 2026 elections, and amid growing national debate over civic freedoms and the role of security forces in Uganda’s political landscape.