At Least Idi Amin — Says Miria Matembe as Sheds Tears in Court

KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Ethics and Integrity Minister Dr. Miria Matembe broke down in tears before a magistrate’s court on Monday as she pleaded for permission to seek medical treatment, invoking the brutality of Uganda’s military dictatorship under Idi Amin to describe what she said was her current suffering.

The 73-year-old veteran politician and human rights activist, who has been charged with promoting sectarianism, became emotional as she asked the court to consider her deteriorating health, particularly a persistent back condition that she said required urgent treatment.

“At least Amin used to shoot you, po! But this kind of breaking…….” Matembe told the court through tears, drawing a stark comparison between her ordeal and the repression experienced during the rule of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s.

Her emotional appearance prompted reactions from opposition leaders and supporters, many of whom recalled her decades-long role in Uganda’s struggle for constitutionalism and democratic governance.

Among them was National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, who reflected on Matembe’s contribution to the country’s political history.

“For context, this senior citizen was one of the eminent Ugandans who traversed this country seeking views on the 1995 Constitution! As I saw her crying out, I couldn’t help but imagine what was going on in her mind. Mulimba mutufuze bubi nnyo!” Rubongoya wrote.

Matembe appeared before Grade One Magistrate Sheilla Gloria Atim at Luzira Magistrate’s Court, where she denied a charge of promoting sectarianism brought by the state.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors accuse her of promoting sectarianism contrary to Section 38(1)(d) of the Penal Code Act.

The state alleges that while appearing on DK TV Uganda in June 2026, Matembe made statements likely to promote hostility, hatred or ill will against members of the Banyankole ethnic community.

Specifically, prosecutors contend that she said “all our taxes are being spent on the Banyankole women ministers,” remarks they argue were capable of inciting hostility against members of the tribe.

Court records identify Matembe as a businesswoman residing in Luzira, Nakawa East Division in Kampala.

Following her plea, her lawyers—led by Uganda Law Society Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, alongside advocates Samuel Muyizi and Steven Kalali—immediately applied for bail, arguing that their client’s advanced age and fragile health justified her temporary release.

The defence informed the court that Matembe was suffering from serious back complications and required immediate medical attention.

However, Magistrate Atim declined to consider the application, saying the defence had not produced any medical documentation to support the claims.

“There is no evidence before court to show that the accused person is unwell,” the magistrate ruled.

She further held that there was insufficient time left to hear the application and adjourned the matter until Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

“The bail application will be heard tomorrow,” the magistrate said before ordering that Matembe be remanded to Luzira Prison.

The ruling means the former Cabinet minister will spend at least one night in custody pending the determination of her bail application.

Matembe, once one of President Yoweri Museveni’s most outspoken ministers before falling out with the government, has remained a prominent critic of the administration for years, frequently speaking out on governance, corruption, constitutionalism and human rights.

Her latest prosecution comes amid continued enforcement of laws criminalising sectarian speech. Authorities maintain such legislation is necessary to preserve national unity and deter statements capable of fuelling ethnic hatred, while critics argue the provisions can have a chilling effect on political expression.

A number of government critics and allies alike have compared the Museveni-Muhoozi regime to Idi Amin’s reign of terror, as detailed Here and There.

You can read ‘Inside Idi Amin’s Kitchen’ on What New Documentary ‘How to Feed a Dictator’ Reveals About Uganda’s Most Feared Ruler HERE.