Tears as suspects in clerics' murder return to jail

By John Agaba, Jemima Nambooze and Farooq Kasule

THE air was apprehensive, tempers very delicate, as Nakawa Magistrates Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing of Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, leader of the Tabliq sect in Uganda, and 17 others arrested in connection with the murders of two Muslim clerics in December last year.

From as early as 8:00am, before Court even opened at 9: 40am, there were a significantly high number of people outside the Court premises, many in veils and the traditional Muslim wear, the turban, eagerly waiting for the hearing.

When prison warders ushered in Kamoga and the 17, these ‘well-wishers’, in unison, with their fists up in the air, started chorusing Allahu Akbar. The chanting lasted about 20 minutes, after the magistrate entered the courtroom and the Court Clerk called for order.

The courtroom was packed to capacity; others had to stand outside its windows to listen to the proceedings.

But when the hearing was adjourned, meaning the suspects had to be remanded to prison, the chanting started again, almost immediately, and this time more ferocious, with scores in the public even jeering.

The suspects couldn’t leave the courtroom. The prison warders had to wait for police to clear the area to handcuff and escort the suspects out the courtroom — more than ten minutes after the magistrate had closed Court.

Meanwhile, there were scores of women weeping, men crying, loyal subjects making frantic gestures to identify with their comrade suspects. And as Kamoga and the 17 were led away, almost everyone in the crowd wanted to embrace them, to salute them.

The 18, mainly Muslim, were arrested in connection with the killings of Sheikh Duktoor Abdulkadir Muwaya of the Shia Muslim sect in Mayuge District and Sheikh Mustafa Bahiga, another Tabliq sect leader in Uganda, who were shot dead in quick succession by unknown assailants riding on motorcycles December last year.

They face charges on counts of terrorism, crimes against humanity, murder, and the attempted murder of Sheikh Dr. Haruna Jemba.

The prosecution, led by senior state attorney Doreen Elima, informed Court that investigations were still ongoing and asked Court that the hearing be adjourned.

Defense counsel Twaha Mayanja asked that the investigations be expeditious so that the accused do not spend a lot of time in detention, before they are committed to the High Court for trial.

Presiding over the hearing, Nakawa Grade I magistrate, Timothy Lumunye, adjourned the matter to February 12.

Some of the loyal subjects cried: “Our leader (Kamoga) was arrested and trampled on in broad daylight as a doormat, and shoved under a pickup when children were seeing. Allah will fight for them. He will bring them justice.”

There were scores of loyal subjects and other well-wishers still surrounding the court, hours after the prisons bus had taken the suspects.

The accused are; Sheikh Siraje Kawooya, Sekayanja Abdulsalaam alias Kassimu Mulumba, Sematimba Abdulhamid Mubiru, Jingo Rashid, Sekitto Twaha, Kakande Yusuf alias Abdallah, Sheikh Murta Mudde Bukenya, and Hamid Kinene Muswaswa.

Others are Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, Muzamilu Kasawuli, Serunjogi Arafat alias Bukenya, Badru Bukenya, Okot Alex, Oloya Joseph, Amir Kinene, Nakasibante Aisha, Okidi Charles, and Sheikh Kalungi Fahad.