Miria Matembe’s Home Raided After She Vehemently Blasted Muhoozi

KAMPALA, Uganda — Security operatives on Wednesday raided the residence of former Ethics and Integrity Minister Miria Matembe, carrying out a search and leaving with some items, according to reports.

Matembe, a veteran politician and outspoken government critic, was not at home when the operation took place, The Pearl Times has learnt.

The security operatives arrived at Matembe’s home at about 10am. She was not at home when the operatives arrived at the home.

It was the caretakers who rang Matembe and told her that a raid had been conducted at her home.

The operatives reportedly forced their way into Matembe’s home and ransacked it in search of some items, some of which they left with.

It remained unclear if the security operatives had planned to kidnap Matembe. Last week, they cut Erias Lukwago’s fence and grabbed him from their bedroom, according to his wife. (See Details Here).

Authorities had not issued an official explanation by press time. It also remained unclear whether any warrant had been presented before the search, but there was no evidence to prove that.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of Uganda’s political environment, where opposition figures and government critics have frequently raised concerns about surveillance, arrests and alleged enforced disappearances. Government officials have consistently denied involvement in unlawful operations, maintaining that security agencies act within the law.

Matembe, who has long positioned herself as one of the country’s most prominent civic voices, has in recent years become increasingly critical of what she describes as shrinking democratic space.

Her political journey gives the raid additional significance. Once a close ally of President Yoweri Museveni, she served as Minister for Ethics and Integrity during the early years of the administration and was part of the broader reformist movement that shaped Uganda’s post-conflict governance structure.

She also played a role in the drafting and adoption of the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, a document widely regarded as a cornerstone of the country’s political order.

However, her relationship with the ruling establishment fractured in 2003 when she publicly opposed the removal of presidential term limits, a constitutional amendment that ultimately allowed Museveni to extend his long tenure in office. Since then, Matembe has remained an outspoken critic of constitutional changes she views as weakening democratic accountability.

The Wednesday raid is likely to add to ongoing debates about civic space and state power in Uganda. Human rights advocates have repeatedly warned about what they describe as increasing intimidation of activists, journalists and opposition politicians, while authorities argue that national security concerns sometimes necessitate robust enforcement actions.

In recent days, video clips from interviews in which Matembe criticized Muhoozi over threats to abduct her, the kidnapping of Erias Lukwago, and threats to throw critics into the basement, trended online.

Muhoozi has since cleared the air on reports of threatening to throw Kabaka into his basement, as reported Here.

You can read about how Miria Matembe met and fell in love with her husband, and her warning to men who want to marry her daughters expecting them to cook Here and There.