Mukisa arriving at the CID, arriving at Buganda Road Court and leaving the court premises

By Herbert Ssempogo, Conan
Businge and Charles Ariko

A TEENAGER who has accused Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy was on Tuesday night arrested amid protests by his lawyer. In a series of dramatic events yesterday, the Police also made the boy, Samsom Mukisa, to write a confidential statement before a magistrate.

They also dressed him up in different ways in an apparent attempt to confuse journalists.

As investigations continued yesterday, Mukisa was subjected to further interrogation. By press time he was still in Police custody.

Earlier in the afternoon, the Police took him to a Buganda Road Court Magistrate to make an extra-judicial, or confidential, statement. Such a statement can be used as evidence against him in court of law.

The process lasted about three hours, after which Mukisa was whisked away to an undisclosed location by a security operative, Maj. Michael Ssali Ssalambwa. Sources, however, said he was detained at Jinja Road Police Station.

Mukisa was arrested at about 11:00am on Tuesday when he reported with his lawyer, Andrew Kasirye, to the CID in Kibuli, a Kampala suburb. The Police interrogated him for at least seven hours until about 9:00pm before detaining him.

Kasirye and colleague, Paul Rutisya,
reacted angrily but their pleas were ignored as Mukisa was driven away in a silver Police pick-up truck to an unknown location.

Yesterday morning, the youngster, dressed in a stripped T-shirt, was driven to Kibuli where he recorded a statement that was also captured on video.

At 4:00pm, Mukisa, disguised with a cap, a white cardigan and a hood, was led into Ssalambwa’s vehicle, which sped off to the court. But the journalists recognised him despite the camourflouge and gave chase.

When they reached the court, Mukisa was Sandwiched between Ssalambwa and other detectives. When he emerged from the car, he had changed clothes again and was wearing sunglasses, an orange apron while clutching newspapers. He was then led to magistrate Dorothy Lwanga.

Maj. Ssalambwa’s involvement in the case was not clear. In 2001, he was the aide-de-camp of Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye, the leader of the Forum for Democratic Change party. After the 2001 presidential elections, which Besigye lost, he fled to Rwanda, but was deported and charged with treason but got amnesty in 2003. Lately, he has been common at the CID headquarters.

Earlier in the day, Kasirye addressed journalists about Mukisa’s arrest. “They are using all avenues to jeopardise the investigations, including intimidating complainants,” he told a press conference at their offices on Clement Hill Road.

“It is illegal to arrest anyone without charges being preferred,” he said. He explained that the Police should have stated Mukisa’s charges and revealed where he was detained.

In a twist of events, Robson Matovu who on Tuesday said he had also been molested by Kayanja, again turned up yesterday but instead said Sempa and Male had bribed him with sh50m to tarnish the name of “Mzee Kayanja”.
As he spoke, Male and Sempa confronted him to substantiate his bribery allegations.

In a panic, Matovu attempted to run away but the pastors closed in on him. A Police officer took him to another building. His fate was unclear by press time.

Mukisa, in an affidavit, accuses Kayanja, the pastor of Miracle Centre, Rubaga, of sodomising him.
Kayanja has denied the allegations, saying they are meant to tarnish his name.

He instead accused pastors Martin Sempa of Makerere Community Church, Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre and Pastor Solomon Male of orchestrating the matter.

However, the pastors say Mukisa simply reported the matter to them and they advised him to report to the Police.

The Police have been investigating the matter and last weekend cleared Kayanja of any wrong-doing. They said the complainants had retracted their accusations. However, Mukisa, Sempa and Male said this was not true.

Male and Sempa were interrogated by the Police on Monday and ordered along with another Pastor, Bob Kayiira, to report to Kibuli again today at 10:00am.
They spent the entire day at the CID yesterday.