Da Dona
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- Dec 16, 2025
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Former Ethics and Integrity Minister Miria Matembe has been charged with sectarianism and remanded to Luzira Prison, marking the latest development in a week-long standoff between the veteran politician and security agencies.
Matembe was on Tuesday arraigned before the Grade One Magistrate's Court in Luzira, where the prosecution accused her of making statements that were likely to promote hostility, hatred and ill will against members of the Banyankole ethnic group, contrary to Uganda's laws on sectarianism. She denied the charges, after which the court ordered that she be remanded to Luzira Prison pending further proceeding.
The court appearance followed several days of heightened drama. Last week, security operatives raided Matembe's home in Luzira while she was away. According to her husband, armed and plain-clothed officers searched parts of the house without explaining the purpose of the operation. Matembe later said she believed the operatives intended to arrest her and described the incident as a threat to her safety.
Following the raid, Matembe reportedly went into hiding after receiving information that security personnel were looking for her. Family members and close associates later revealed that she had been arrested from a friend's residence after spending two days in hiding. She was first taken to military facilities in Mbuya before being presented in court.
The arrest sparked condemnation from women's rights organisations and civil society groups, which accused security agencies of intimidating a veteran activist and demanded that any allegations against her be handled through lawful and transparent procedures. They argued that home raids and arbitrary arrests undermine constitutional rights and due process.
Matembe, 73, served as Uganda's first Minister of Ethics and Integrity and was once a close ally of President Museveni. She later fell out with the ruling establishment after opposing the removal of presidential term limits in 2003. Since then, she has become one of the government's most outspoken critics, regularly speaking against alleged human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on civic freedoms.
Her case comes amid growing concern over the treatment of government critics, opposition figures and human rights activists, with several recent arrests and detentions drawing both local and international attention.
Daily Monitor UG