Matembe Seeks Bail Over Advanced Age, Sickness

Former Ethics Minister, Miria Matembe, has applied for bail before the Luzira Chief Magistrates Court as she faces charges of promoting sectarianism.

The bail application was presented on Wednesday before Grade One Magistrate Sheilah Gloria Atim by the Vice President of the Uganda Law Society (ULS), Anthony Asiimwe, who has asked the court to release Matembe on non-cash bail pending trial.

Asiimwe described Matembe as a distinguished public servant and legal professional with deep roots in Uganda’s constitutional and governance history. 

He told the court that the 73-year-old is a former Minister for Ethics and Integrity, former Member of Parliament, Constitutional Assembly delegate, former member of the Constitutional Commission, a founding member of the Pan-African Parliament, and a lifelong advocate for women’s rights and good governance.

He further noted that Matembe, who was enrolled as an advocate in 1979 and holds a Doctorate of Laws, was instrumental in the making of Uganda’s Constitution.

According to Asiimwe, Matembe is seeking release on her own recognisance, arguing that she does not wish to expose family members, friends and associates to  continued harassment by requiring them to stand surety for her.

The defence told court that on June 23, 2026, armed men allegedly attacked Matembe’s residence in Portbell Lake Drive Zone, Luzira Parish, Nakawa Division.

According to the defence, the men, some dressed in civilian clothes and others in military uniform, scaled the perimeter wall and forcibly entered the home looking for her.

Asiimwe said Matembe had left the residence shortly before the raid for her routine morning exercise. 

Her husband reportedly informed her of the incident, prompting her not to return home but instead seek refuge with friends.

The lawyer further submitted that security personnel allegedly searched the homes of several of Matembe’s friends and associates throughout the following week before she was arrested on June 28 from a location where she had sought refuge.

He alleged that following her arrest, Matembe was blindfolded, transported in a drone vehicle to an undisclosed location, and detained incommunicado until she was produced before court on Tuesday, which remanded her to Luzira prison for one night before returning to apply for bail today. 

The defence further argued that Matembe appeared before court in poor health and requires medical attention, citing back pain that was reportedly confirmed on Police Form 24.

Asiimwe maintained that the offence with which she is charged is bailable and argued that Matembe poses no flight risk or danger to the public.

He told the court that she has no previous criminal record, is a respected public figure, and has a known place of residence, which he noted has already been searched by security agencies.

Asiimwe added that she remained within Uganda throughout the period she was in hiding following the raid and has demonstrated willingness to submit to the court process by pleading not guilty.

The defence has also argued that there is no evidence that Matembe will interfere with investigations or prosecution witnesses, noting that she is a pensioner with longstanding public service credentials.

Asiimwe further submitted that the circumstances surrounding the prosecution suggest that the matter is politically motivated and amounts to political persecution. 

He then urged the court to protect what he described as a vulnerable elderly citizen by granting her unconditional bail in the interests of justice and proportionality.

“The courts should protect the vulnerable,” Asiimwe argued, asking that Matembe be released on her own recognisance.

The defence, through Lawyer Steven Kalali, subsequently presented four sureties led by Ruth Akello, the Member of Parliament for Amuru District, who has been presented as a longtime friend and associate of Matembe through the Uganda Women’s Movement, an organisation that brings together female jurists to advance women’s rights.

Other sureties include Naome Kabasharira, the Member of Parliament for Rushenyi County in Ntungamo District, Lawyer Prima Kwagala, and Godber Tumushabe, Executive Director of GLISS and an Assistant Lecturer at the  Makerere University School of Law, whom they told court  that they understand  the responsibilities of being a surety since they are Advocates. 

The prosecution, however, has requested one hour to prepare its response to the bail application.

The Magistrate Atim has thus adjourned proceedings until after 2:00 p.m. when the State is expected to present its submissions before a ruling on the bail application can be made. 

Dr. Matembe maintains her innocence and denies the charge of promoting sectarianism.

According to the prosecution, during June 2026 at Nakawa Division in Kampala, Matembe allegedly made statements on DK TV Uganda to the effect that “all our taxes are being spent on the Banyankole women ministers.” Prosecutors contend that the remarks were likely to promote hostility, hatred, or ill will against members of the Banyankole ethnic group. 

Matembe reportedly went missing last week, a day after security personnel raided her home in Luzira in an attempt to arrest her. She was not at the residence during the operation. 

Sources later told Uganda Radio Network that she was arrested from her hideout at a hotel along Gayaza Road, where she had allegedly been staying. 

Over the weekend, Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted on the social media platform X that Matembe had been arrested for “impersonation.” However, the charge presented before court on Tuesday was promoting sectarianism.