Pastor Kayanja accuser convicted in sodomy case

By Andrew Ssenyonga

The Anti-corruption Court in Kampala has convicted a man who had accused Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy.

Moses Muwanguzi was on Wednesday convicted of corruption and conspiring to destroy Kayanja’s name and profession.

His conviction was based on three counts of corruption, fabricating evidence and destroying evidence. He pleaded guilty to the charges.

Muwanguzi is liable to a jail term of up to 10 years or a fine for corruption after he reportedly bribed a medical doctor with sh500, 000 for a report implicating Kayanja of sodomy.

He could also face seven years behind bars for fabricating evidence.

‘I ask for forgiveness’

The court presided over by Grade one Magistrate Agnes Alum adjourned the case to Tuesday next week for sentencing.

During mitigation, the convict confessed before court that he was misled by his co-accused, Ibrahim Nsubuga, to tarnish Pastor Kayanja's name by portraying him as gay. Nsubuga is currently out on bail.

"Pastor Kayanja has never touched or slept with me. I therefore ask for forgiveness from him and the entire world. I also pray court gives me a simple sentence," said Muwanguzi.

He has spent one year on remand inside Luzira Prison.

Prosecution says that the convict, on April 29, 2013 at Mpererwe trading center, recorded a statement at police alleging that he had been sodomized by Pastor Kayanja.

Later on May 25 that year, he was reportedly issued a police form to go for medical examination to prove the allegations.

According to prosecution, Nsubuga (co-accused) met with Simon Kiryahika – a police officer from the anti-terrorism unit – with plans of extorting money from Kayanja and requested him to assist them to get a doctor who would make a false report showing that Muwanguzi was sodomised by Kayanja.

It is understood the policeman promised to get them a doctor, but instead informed Pastor Kayanja of the plot against him.

On June 1, 2013 the policeman connected the plotters to doctor Umaru Kasule from Mulago hospital.

That day, a hidden camera was placed in the doctor's room to capture the malicious actions of the two men as evidence.

During the meeting, court heard that Muwanguzi admitted to the doctor that he had not been sodomized but that he only wanted to make money from Pastor Kayanja and promised him sh2m in return.

The doctor promptly reported the case to Mulago police station.

Later that month, the accused persons went back to Mulago hospital and gave the doctor sh500, 000 for the report, and unaware that it was a trap, they were immediately arrested by a team of policemen.

However during interrogation, Nsubuga denied and a charge and caution statement was extracted from Muwanguzi of which he confessed having committed the crime with Nsubuga.