The Senior Principal Grade One Magistrate, Winnie Nankya Jatiko, has granted Bireete a cash bail of Shs 1m, while each of her sureties is ordered to execute a non-cash bond of Shs10m.
Court has also directed Bireete to deposit her passport and barred her from leaving the country without the court’s permission.
Before granting her bail, the Magistrate ruled that the sureties were substantial, noting that they are public figures who have previously served in public offices.
The court has now fixed the case for hearing on February 27, 2026.
Bireete, the Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Governance, was on January 2nd, 2026 charged and remanded to Luzira Prison.
Through her lawyers, led by Anthony Asiimwe, Vice President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Bireete applied for bail, arguing that she is a law-abiding citizen with a fixed residence and substantial sureties, and poses no risk of absconding.
She also cited her medical condition, hypertension, and noted that the offences she is charged with are bailable under the law, urging the court to grant her release while investigations are ongoing.
Last week, the prosecution opposed the application, highlighting the sensitivity of the matter and requesting more time to verify the details of the proposed sureties.
The State argued that the four sureties presente lacked proof of financial capacity, dismissed Bireete’s medical claim on the grounds that no evidence was provided to show that prison authorities cannot manage her condition, and warned that her influence could lead to interference with witnesses.
According to the prosecution, Bireete, together with others still at large, allegedly, between January and December 2025, unlawfully obtained or disclosed National Voters’ Information at various locations across Uganda, including Kampala, Mukono, and Wakiso districts.
The data is said to be controlled or processed by the Electoral Commission and was allegedly accessed without the Commission’s prior consent.
Amnesty International and KFM
