Pastor Kayanja asks court to hand his accusers heavy punishments

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Pastor Robert Kayanja of the Rubaga Miracle Center Church has made an impassioned plea for justice, in a case where nine people are accused of making false sodomy accusations against him.

The nine are Peter Serugo, Reagan Ssentongo, Moses Tumwine, Khalifa Labeeb, Alex Wakamala, Martins Kagolo, Israel Wasswa, Jamil Mwanda and Aggrey Kinene.

On Thursday, Pastor Kayanja returned before the Mwanga 2 Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba for further cross-examination arising from his testimony regarding how he was framed by the accused persons that he sodomized them while he employed them as security guards.

He alleged a conspiracy to frame him, linking Israel Wasswa, one of the accused, to Pastor Ssenyonga whom he described as a longtime rival.

Pastor Kayanja cited previous similar accusations that were found to be false but instead of giving custodial punishments to the accusers, they were ordered to execute community services for only 100 hours.

In his testimony last week, Pastor Kayanja said Pastors  Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Martin Sempa, Mukalazi, and Deborah Kyomuhendo were in 2010  found guilty of falsely accusing him of sodomy but were sentenced to 100 hours of community service by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.

Kayanja who sounded frustrated also cited a 2013 case where he was falsely accused of sodomizing two people Moses Muhanguzi and Ibrahim Nsubuga whom he said were equally handed non-deterrence sentences for attempting to bribe a doctor to conclude that they had been sodomized.

He requested a deterrent sentence shortly after being asked by the Court why accusations of sodomy had been following him since 2010 from fellow pastors.

Kayanja believes that stronger punishment for his accusers will deter future blackmail against other would-be accusers.

Prosecutor Jonathan Muwaganya supported Kayanja’s claims and asked him questions that aimed at providing clarity to which the accused persons’ lawyers including Humphrey Tumwesigye and Robert Ojambo were objecting.

“Re-examination is intended to clarify matters that arose during cross-examination. The extent of re-examination is not restricted by law,” said Muwaganya.

Further, the court played a video recording allegedly showing the accused confessing to being from the notorious criminal gang Kifeesi and seeking rehabilitation at Pastor Kayanja’s church. Photographs of dead animals on Pastor Kayanja’s farm, allegedly neglected by the accused, were also presented.

Kayanja previously told the Court that he came to know the accused persons when he met them in 2017  during his 77 DOGs (Days of Glory )  revival, where they sought to turn from criminality and give their lives back to God.

The Prosecution through  Muwaganya has closed its case with 13 witnesses in total.

The accused persons and the prosecution were granted time to file written submissions regarding whether the accused persons should be asked to defend themselves or they should be acquitted of the charges against them.

The case was adjourned to November 8th.

The prosecution alleges that the accused persons and others still at large on or about September 17th 2021 in Kampala District conspired together to falsely accuse Pastor Kayanja of unnatural offences.

They are further accused of conspiracy to defeat Justice, committing a felony, criminal trespass and giving false information to police.

It is alleged that Serugo, Ssentongo, Khalifa, Wakamala and Kagoro while employed in Public Service as Police officers gave false information to police detective IP Cotilda Nandutu saying that Pastor Kayanja had performed unnatural offenses with them.

The Prosecutors say they did this intentionally knowing that they would cause the said Nandutu and police to devote time and services to investigate information they knew was false.

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