Former minister and constitutional activist Dr Miria Koburunga Matembe has vowed to continue speaking out against injustice, human rights violations and poor governance despite her recent arrest and detention.Addressing journalists in Kampala, Matembe said the ordeal had not weakened her resolve to defend justice, democracy and constitutional rights.
Matembe alleged that suspected security operatives raided her home in Luzira on June 24, 2026, while she was away, searching the residence and leaving her 81-year-old husband, Nekemia Matembe, shocked.She was later arrested on June 28 and appeared before Luzira Magistrates’ Court on June 30, where she faced a charge of sectarianism.Matembe alleged that she was blindfolded, denied food and subjected to harsh conditions while in custody before being transferred to the Jinja Road Regional CID Office.
“I was starved to near death. I resorted to prayer because I knew my God would rescue me,” she said.The former minister thanked Ugandans, civil society organisations, lawyers, young people, the Uganda Law Society and her sureties for standing with her during the ordeal.Reflecting on her long involvement in Uganda’s constitutional development, Matembe said her experiences had made it impossible for her to remain silent when citizens’ rights are violated.“It is therefore difficult for me to remain silent when a young person is treated unfairly for holding alternative political views… or when citizens are kidnapped by rogue security operatives without accountability,” she said.
Matembe, who previously supported the NRM, questioned whether ordinary Ugandans are safe if she could allegedly become a victim of military raids and what she described as politically motivated charges.“I who embraced the NRM revolution am a victim of illegal military raids on my home, military abduction and trumped-up charges. Then who is safe in Uganda?”She urged Ugandans, particularly young people, not to be intimidated into silence, insisting that the Constitution, human rights and human dignity must be protected.“Stop fearing; stand up firmly in our God. Speak up and let us redeem our nation from the calamity it is going through,” Matembe said.
