Sarah Bireete, the Director of the Center for Constitutional Governance, has been charged and remanded to Luzira Prison over unlawful obtaining or disclosing of personal data, a property of the Electoral Commission, contrary to Section 35 (1) and (2) of the Data Protection and Privacy Act.

Bireete on Friday appeared before the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate presided over by Grade One Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko, who read the charge to her. She denied the charge slapped against her.

According to the charge sheet, Bireete, a 49-year-old lawyer and resident of Kiwango–Namwezi Village in Bukerere Parish, Goma Subcounty, Mukono District, is accused of unlawfully obtaining or disclosing personal data. 

The prosecution alleges that Bireete, together with others still at large, between January 2025 and December 2025, at various locations within Uganda, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts, unlawfully obtained or disclosed National Voters’ Information.

The data is said to be controlled or processed by the Electoral Commission and was allegedly accessed or shared without the commission’s prior consent.

Chief State Attorney Joan Keko told the court that the matter was before it for plea.

“The matter is before you for plea,” Keko said.

Magistrate Jatiko read the charge to the accused and asked whether she had understood it.

“I have understood the offence,” Bireete responded.

When asked whether the charge was true, Bireete replied, “Not true,” prompting the magistrate to enter a plea of not guilty.

Following the plea, Keko informed the court that investigations into the matter were still ongoing and asked for an adjournment.

“The investigations are still ongoing. We seek an adjournment, and we shall inform the court of the status of investigations on the next date,” Keko said.

The defence team, led by Jude Byamukama, did not object to the request for adjournment. However, Byamukama indicated that the defence intended to apply for bail.

“We have no objection to the prayer for adjournment, except that we have instructions to apply for bail,” Byamukama told the court.

Magistrate Jatiko allowed the defence lawyers to apply for bail, but declined to rule on it, noting that the prosecution needed time to respond to the application.

"Prosecution deserves a right to make a reply to the bail application, this being a case that has been brought to court by them. Prosecution is granted time to make a reply to this application. The application will be revisited on January 21, 2026. The accused person will be kept on remand until then," she ruled.