The Luzira Grade One Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to former Ethics and Integrity Minister Dr. Miria Matembe, who was on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, charged with claims of promoting sectarianism.

The court on Wednesday granted bail to visibly frail Dr. Miria Matembe, 73, who was brought back a day after being remanded, on grounds of ill health, advanced age, and the presumption of innocence.

Appearing before Grade One Magistrate Sheila Gloria Atim at the Luzira Magistrates Court Yesterday, Matembe, 73, was remanded to Luzira Prison until July 1, 2026, as investigations continue.

 

Dr. Matembe was charged under Section 38(1) of the Penal Code Act, Cap 120, for allegedly making social media false statements against the  Banyankole women ministers.

The prosecution contends that her remarks were likely to stir hostility or ill will against members of the Banyankole ethnic group. Matembe pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During Tuesday’s session, her legal team, led by Uganda Law Society Vice President Anthony Asiimwe, appealed for bail on humanitarian grounds.

However, Magistrate Sheila Gloria Atim initially declined the request, noting that no formal electronic application had been filed and that medical evidence had not been presented to substantiate her health claims.

 

The court granted bail on Wednesday after the formal application was filed, adjourning the case to August 19, 2026, with investigations into the statements’ origin and circulation still active.

Dr. Miria Matembe had been missing for about a week, with family and friends raising alarm over her whereabouts after security operatives went to her home and failed to trace her.

The veteran politician, women’s rights advocate, and one of the framers of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution was likely detained sometime in the last week before her Tuesday court appearance.