Sarah Bireete

Sarah Bireete is a Ugandan Lawyer, human rights defender and political activist who is the founding partner and Executive Director for Center for Constitutional Governance(CCG), a Non Government Organization(NGO) and also Chairperson East and Horn of Africa Elections Observers Network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Bireete is currently the Executive Director for Center for Constitutional Governance(CCG) the NGO she was its deputy executive director between 2011 and 2019 and also Chairperson, East and Horn of Africa Elections Observers Network . She served as a National Coordinator for the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region under the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to 2011, she worked as a public defender at the Public Defenders Association of Uganda. She is a human rights activist, lawyer and partner at Dickens Kamugisha and Co. Advocates in Kampala Uganda. She is a panelist on the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) political show called "UBC Behind The Headlines" and also Civic Space TV on "Chat Show UG".^[1][3][6]

She is a member of several boards of organizations as well as governing committees of schools and students bodies. She chairs the national coalition on civic space in Uganda and she is a member for the international human rights defenders group known as Vuka Allies, for Uganda. She has vast knowledge and understanding of governance issues especially in areas of constitutionalism, human rights, Civic Space, electoral democracy, land rights, research and advocacy, public interest litigation as well as conflict transformation.^[1][3]

Bireete was charged by the Anti-Corruption court with embezzlement and abuse of office in 2009 in her role as National Coordinator of the International Conference of the Great Lake Regions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.The High court Judge sentenced her to ten years’ imprisonment. She appealed to the Court of Appeal.^[7]

In 2016, the Court of Appeal acquitted her on the charge of abuse of office but maintained the conviction for embezzlement. Bireete then appealed this decision to the Supreme Court where they unanimously acquitted her of the embezzlement charge.^[7] In a majority 4 to 1 decision, Supreme Court Justices Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, Eldad Mwangusya, Rubby Opio-Aweri and Paul Mugamba ruled that the prosecution case against her did not satisfy the burden of proof especially given that there was no evidence directly linking her to receipt of the said refund. They therefore unanimously acquitted her of the embezzlement charge.^[8]

• Agather Atuhaire
• Sheila Kawamala Mishabi