Museveni warns on Kayanja inquiry
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday warned government officials against interfering with the Police investigation into the sodomy allegations against Pastor Robert Kayanja.
By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
and Herbert Ssempogo
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday warned government officials against interfering with the Police investigation into the sodomy allegations against Pastor Robert Kayanja.
Museveni also ordered investigations into allegations that State House officials were interfering with the process of the law.
“Anyone found to be involved shall face disciplinary action,†the President’s press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, quoted the President as saying.
Reading from a prepared statement at the Media Centre Kampala, Tamale quoted the President saying any aggrieved Ugandan was free to report to the Police and should be protected from harassment or intimidation while the matter is under investigation or in the court.
In his first comment to the sodomy story which has rocked the nation for weeks, Tamale quoted Museveni as saying the State House had “no interest and is not involved in
any of these (sodomy) cases, in particular Pastor Kayanja’s case.â€
“The President is dissatisfied with the way this case has been handled by the Police,†Tamale said. “Some individuals involved are not respecting the law,†he added.
Museveni warned the Police to stop harassing complainants and handle the case impartially, Tamale further quoted the President.
Kayanja, the pastor of Miracle Centre Rubaga, Kampala has been accused by 19-year-old Samsom Mukisa of sodomising him. Miracle Centre is one of the largest and most influential evangelical churches in Uganda.
Four other young men had accused Kayanja of sexually molesting them. However, one of them, Robson Matovu, retracted his statements on Wednesday. The others also reportedly did the same, the Police said.
Sodomy is a crime under Ugandan law and is punishable by life imprisonment.
Kayanja denies the charges and believes they are meant to tarnish his name.
He said pastors Martin Ssempa of Makerere Community Church, Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre, Bob Kayiira and Solomon Male were behind the plot.
Last week, CID chief Edward Ochom cleared Kayanja of any wrong-doing. He said Mukisa had retracted his accusations. The Police also showed a woman to journalists whom they said was Mukisa’s mother. The woman denounced Mukisa’s allegations and said he had mental illness. However, Mukisa denied the woman was his mother.
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Ochom said the allegations against Kayanja were baseless and summoned Male, Ssempa and Kayiira for interrogation.
The pastors said they were not witch-hunting Kayanja but fighting against homosexuality and seeking justice for the alleged victims.
Ssempa and Male accused the Police of taking sides, adding that Kayanja was highly connected. Nevertheless, they were confident “democracy and justice would triumphâ€.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Police on Tuesday night arrested Mukisa and got him to sign a confidential statement at Buganda Road Court. Such a statement can be used in court against Mukisa, who is still detained incommunicado. He was driven to and out of court by detectives who disguised his identity several times.
His lawyer Andrew Kasirye said the Police actions were intended to intimidate the complainants in the case.
Police chief Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura yesterday held a two-hour closed-door meeting with Kayanja, Male, Ssempa and Kayiira at the Police headquarters in Kibuli, a Kampala suburb.
In a statement, the Police said the meeting was intended to ensure the “integrity†of the investigations. It said the parties had agreed that the investigations should continue.
Sources said Kayihura reprimanded the CID top brass for detaining Mukisa and denying his lawyer access to him. The statement said apart from that anomaly, the inquiry had otherwise been “managed professionally and without biasâ€.
It said Kayanja had not been exonerated, and accused the media of the “insinuationâ€.
The parties also agreed that nobody had been tortured or harassed to make or retract statements, the Police added. Kayihura also assured the parties of “equal and adequate protectionâ€.
The parties also called on the Police to expedite investigations transparently so as to avoid suspicions and ensure justice.
The pastors’ lawyers attended the meeting, which came three days after the Police interrogated Male, Ssempa and Kayiira for allegedly falsifying documents and swearing a false affidavit. They denied this.
After the meeting, Kayanja’s aides drove him away in a white Toyota Ipsum car with tinted glasses at about 6:30pm.
Talking before the meeting, Ssempa said he would rather Kayanja met the victims.
On his part Male called on Kayanja to resign to pave way for a thorough investigation.
“A leader should not be involved in certain activities,†he asserted. “If he goes ahead and engages in such activities, he owes us an apology.â€
and Herbert Ssempogo
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday warned government officials against interfering with the Police investigation into the sodomy allegations against Pastor Robert Kayanja.
Museveni also ordered investigations into allegations that State House officials were interfering with the process of the law.
“Anyone found to be involved shall face disciplinary action,†the President’s press secretary, Tamale Mirundi, quoted the President as saying.
Reading from a prepared statement at the Media Centre Kampala, Tamale quoted the President saying any aggrieved Ugandan was free to report to the Police and should be protected from harassment or intimidation while the matter is under investigation or in the court.
In his first comment to the sodomy story which has rocked the nation for weeks, Tamale quoted Museveni as saying the State House had “no interest and is not involved in
any of these (sodomy) cases, in particular Pastor Kayanja’s case.â€
“The President is dissatisfied with the way this case has been handled by the Police,†Tamale said. “Some individuals involved are not respecting the law,†he added.
Museveni warned the Police to stop harassing complainants and handle the case impartially, Tamale further quoted the President.
Kayanja, the pastor of Miracle Centre Rubaga, Kampala has been accused by 19-year-old Samsom Mukisa of sodomising him. Miracle Centre is one of the largest and most influential evangelical churches in Uganda.
Four other young men had accused Kayanja of sexually molesting them. However, one of them, Robson Matovu, retracted his statements on Wednesday. The others also reportedly did the same, the Police said.
Sodomy is a crime under Ugandan law and is punishable by life imprisonment.
Kayanja denies the charges and believes they are meant to tarnish his name.
He said pastors Martin Ssempa of Makerere Community Church, Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre, Bob Kayiira and Solomon Male were behind the plot.
Last week, CID chief Edward Ochom cleared Kayanja of any wrong-doing. He said Mukisa had retracted his accusations. The Police also showed a woman to journalists whom they said was Mukisa’s mother. The woman denounced Mukisa’s allegations and said he had mental illness. However, Mukisa denied the woman was his mother.
Addressing journalists on Sunday, Ochom said the allegations against Kayanja were baseless and summoned Male, Ssempa and Kayiira for interrogation.
The pastors said they were not witch-hunting Kayanja but fighting against homosexuality and seeking justice for the alleged victims.
Ssempa and Male accused the Police of taking sides, adding that Kayanja was highly connected. Nevertheless, they were confident “democracy and justice would triumphâ€.
In a dramatic turn of events, the Police on Tuesday night arrested Mukisa and got him to sign a confidential statement at Buganda Road Court. Such a statement can be used in court against Mukisa, who is still detained incommunicado. He was driven to and out of court by detectives who disguised his identity several times.
His lawyer Andrew Kasirye said the Police actions were intended to intimidate the complainants in the case.
Police chief Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura yesterday held a two-hour closed-door meeting with Kayanja, Male, Ssempa and Kayiira at the Police headquarters in Kibuli, a Kampala suburb.
In a statement, the Police said the meeting was intended to ensure the “integrity†of the investigations. It said the parties had agreed that the investigations should continue.
Sources said Kayihura reprimanded the CID top brass for detaining Mukisa and denying his lawyer access to him. The statement said apart from that anomaly, the inquiry had otherwise been “managed professionally and without biasâ€.
It said Kayanja had not been exonerated, and accused the media of the “insinuationâ€.
The parties also agreed that nobody had been tortured or harassed to make or retract statements, the Police added. Kayihura also assured the parties of “equal and adequate protectionâ€.
The parties also called on the Police to expedite investigations transparently so as to avoid suspicions and ensure justice.
The pastors’ lawyers attended the meeting, which came three days after the Police interrogated Male, Ssempa and Kayiira for allegedly falsifying documents and swearing a false affidavit. They denied this.
After the meeting, Kayanja’s aides drove him away in a white Toyota Ipsum car with tinted glasses at about 6:30pm.
Talking before the meeting, Ssempa said he would rather Kayanja met the victims.
On his part Male called on Kayanja to resign to pave way for a thorough investigation.
“A leader should not be involved in certain activities,†he asserted. “If he goes ahead and engages in such activities, he owes us an apology.â€