Veteran politician and prominent women’s rights advocate Miria Matembe has been taken into custody after reportedly spending two days in hiding following a security operation at her residence in Luzira, according to her family.
Her nephew, media personality JK Kazoora, confirmed that Matembe was arrested and transferred to Mbuya, where authorities allowed her to receive her prescribed medication.
“She was arrested about two hours ago and taken to Mbuya. She has received her medication. By tomorrow or Tuesday, we expect to know whether she will be transferred to Luzira Prison or released,” Kazoora said.
The arrest follows a security raid on Matembe’s home a few days earlier. Although initial reports suggested she had been arrested during the operation, Kazoora later explained that she managed to avoid capture after receiving a warning while on her routine morning jog.
According to family members, Matembe initially hid in nearby bushes before seeking temporary shelter at a neighbor’s residence. She later relocated to a friend’s home, where she remained for two days as security personnel continued searching for her.
Kazoora said he had spoken with senior government officials on Sunday, who assured him that security agencies were no longer looking for Matembe and that it was safe for her to leave hiding.
However, he believes that communications between family members and friends may have enabled security officers to trace her whereabouts.
“I informed several relatives myself, but this morning two of my aunt’s friends were arrested. I believe they communicated through ordinary phone calls instead of encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp calls or Telegram. Those calls may have been traced, allowing security officers to locate them. Eventually, the officers discovered where Matembe was staying,” Kazoora alleged.
Earlier, security personnel briefly detained Matembe’s associates, Dr. Sarah Bireete and Eunice Musiime, before later releasing them. It remains unclear whether they are the same individuals referred to by Kazoora.
The security operation at Matembe’s Luzira residence took place on Friday. Her husband, Nehemiah Matembe, said officers searched their home without identifying themselves or explaining the reason for the operation before leaving without making any arrests.
Following the raid, the family reported Matembe missing, fearing she may have been intercepted by security personnel while exercising outside her home.
Matembe, a former Minister of Ethics and Integrity and one of the framers of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution, has in recent years become an outspoken critic of the government. She has frequently spoken out against alleged human rights abuses, enforced disappearances, and what she describes as the increasing influence of the military in Uganda’s political affairs.
Her family says they are now awaiting clarification from authorities regarding her legal status, including whether she will face formal charges, be remanded to Luzira Prison, or be released.
“We are hopeful that by Tuesday there will be clarity and that everything will turn out well,” Kazoora said.