KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Ethics and Integrity Minister Miria Matembe has been charged with promoting sectarianism and remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing before the Grade One Magistrate’s Court in Luzira on Tuesday.
Matembe, a former Member of Parliament and member of the Constitutional Commission, was arraigned on a charge under Section 38(1)(d) of the Penal Code Act. She pleaded not guilty before the court, which ordered that she be remanded as the case was adjourned for further proceedings.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleges that Matembe made statements during a programme broadcast on DK TV Uganda in Nakawa Division, Kampala, in which she reportedly said, “All our taxes are being spent on the Banyankole women ministers.” Prosecutors contend that the remarks were likely to promote hostility against members of the Banyankole ethnic group, forming the basis of the sectarianism charge.
The veteran politician appeared in court looking visibly frail, according to supporters and opposition leaders who attended the proceedings.
Among those present was David Lewis Rubongoya, who expressed concern over Matembe’s condition.
“We’re at the Grade One Magistrate’s Court, Luzira, to stand in solidarity with former Minister and Member of Uganda’s Constitutional Commission, Hon. Miria Matembe. She is visibly weak and frail. Despite this painful ordeal, she is still praising her God,” Rubongoya wrote on X before the court session.
The prosecution follows Matembe’s arrest last week after security operatives reportedly raided her home in Luzira. Her detention prompted concern from opposition leaders, lawyers and civil society organisations, who demanded that authorities either produce her before a competent court or release her.
Matembe has in recent years emerged as one of the government’s outspoken critics, regularly commenting on governance, constitutionalism and human rights. She previously served as Minister of Ethics and Integrity and was a member of the Constitutional Commission that drafted Uganda’s 1995 Constitution.
Human rights organisations have also raised concerns over her arrest and prosecution. Amnesty International recently called on Ugandan authorities to end what it described as harassment of activists and government critics and to respect the rights to freedom of expression and due process.
The offence of promoting sectarianism is intended to prohibit speech that is likely to incite hostility or discrimination against groups based on ethnicity, religion or other protected characteristics. The application of the law has, however, frequently generated public debate over its relationship with constitutional protections for freedom of expression.
The case against Matembe is expected to return to court on a date yet to be announced. As with all criminal proceedings, she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
