KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Ethics and Integrity Minister Dr. Miria Matembe, 73, has been remanded to Luzira Prison after a magistrate denied her bail on charges of promoting sectarianism over remarks prosecutors say were directed at members of the Banyankole ethnic community.
Matembe, a veteran politician, women’s rights activist and former member of Uganda’s Constitutional Commission, appeared visibly weak as she was brought before the Luzira Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The prosecution alleges that the veteran politician made statements likely to incite hostility against members of the Banyankole tribe during an appearance on the DK TV Uganda platform earlier this month.
According to a charge sheet issued by the Uganda Police, Matembe faces one count of promoting sectarianism contrary to Section 38(1)(d) of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 128.
The case was registered at Jinja Road Police Station under Criminal Reference Book (CRB) 638/2026, with the charge sheet dated June 30, 2026.
Prosecutors allege that during June 2026, while appearing on the DK TV Uganda platform in Nakawa Division, Kampala District, Matembe stated: “All our taxes are being spent on the Banyankole women ministers.”
According to the charge sheet, the statement “was likely to promote hostility, hatred or ill will against members of the Banyankole tribe.”
The charge sheet does not provide additional context surrounding the discussion in which the remarks were allegedly made.
The charges come days after security operatives raided Matembe’s home and took her into custody, an operation that drew criticism from opposition politicians, women’s rights activists and civil society organizations, who questioned the manner in which authorities handled the case.
The prosecution marks the latest legal challenge for Matembe, once one of President Yoweri Museveni’s closest political allies before becoming one of his most outspoken critics.
A lawyer by training and a prominent advocate for women’s rights and constitutional governance, Matembe served as Uganda’s first Minister of Ethics and Integrity and later sat on the Constitutional Commission that helped draft the country’s 1995 Constitution.
She eventually fell out with the ruling National Resistance Movement over governance issues, including constitutional amendments that removed presidential term limits, and has since remained an influential critic of the government.
Her arrest followed a security operation at her residence in Luzira, where officers searched the premises and confiscated electronic devices. The raid prompted condemnation from civil society groups and women’s organizations, which argued that any allegations against the veteran politician should be handled transparently and in accordance with due process.
The offence of promoting sectarianism has historically been among Uganda’s most closely watched speech-related offences.
Successive governments have defended the law as necessary to preserve national unity and prevent speech capable of inflaming ethnic, tribal or religious divisions.
Human rights advocates, however, have repeatedly argued that the provision can be broadly interpreted and may have a chilling effect on political expression and public debate.
Matembe’s remand is expected to intensify public debate over freedom of expression, political dissent and the application of Uganda’s sectarianism laws, with the case likely to attract significant legal and political scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
It should be remembered that CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba had claimed that Miria Matembe had been arrested for calling herself Museveni’s minister, as reported Here.
Meanwhile, The Pearl Times has fact checked the claim that Muhoozi has announced overthrowing Museveni and declaring himself Uganda’s new president. (See Details HERE).
