By KT Reporter
A woman has been remanded to Luzira Prison after failing to produce her son, for whom she stood surety, in Pastor Kayanja’s case.
Namugga Prossy was arrested following a warrant issued at the request of Chief State Prosecutor Jonathan Muwaganya. This came after she failed in her duty as a surety to ensure that her son, Tumwine Moses, returned to court as required.
Tumwine is one of nine youths who were arrested in 2023 and charged with criminal trespass at Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral, allegedly with the intent to annoy city pastor Robert Kayanja.
Upon being granted bail, Tumwine presented Namugga as surety. She executed a non-cash bond of 20 million shillings, binding herself to ensure his appearance in court. However, Tumwine has since disappeared, and an arrest warrant was issued against him.
The court also extended arrest orders to his sureties, including Namugga and Moses Ssemanobe, requiring them to appear and explain why they should not forfeit the bail sum or be imprisoned for up to six months as civil debtors.
Namugga was subsequently arrested and brought before Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba to account for her son’s absence. Overwhelmed with emotion, she broke down in tears, informing the court that she has not been in contact with Tumwine, who has allegedly switched off all known phone contacts.
Magistrate Byarugaba ordered her remand to Luzira Prison until Friday next week, when a ruling on her fate will be made. Meanwhile, the second surety, Moses Ssemanobe, remains at large.
The developments occurred during a session in which the fifth accused, Alex Wakamala, an accused Boda Boda rider, gave sworn evidence denying the allegations of trespass.
Earlier, the defence lawyers raised concerns about their health. “My health is not good and I can’t proceed with a mask on,” said counsel Hamphrey Tumwesigye, while another defence lawyer, Ojambo, added: “I am not well. I have a serious terminal problem.”
Byarugaba, however, urged the parties to move forward with the hearing.
“Let us proceed and see where the energy can take us,” ruled Byarugaba.
Led by his lawyer, Tumwesigye, Wakamala introduced himself as a Mugishu from Mbale who came to Kampala after dropping out of school due to sight problems. He recounted that his mother encouraged him to seek prayers for healing, first at a church in Mutungo before attending a crusade in Kayunga in 2016.
It was during this period, he said, that he was persuaded to join the famous “77 Days of Glory” prayer meetings at Rubaga Miracle Centre. “I told my mother I didn’t want to be associated with Pastor Kayanja or Kakande, but later I changed my mind after the Kayunga pastor said he had voices telling me to go,” Wakamala testified.
He told the court that upon joining the church, he volunteered as an usher before later being recruited into the church security team. Through this work, he said he grew closer to senior leaders who introduced him to different responsibilities, including K9 training.
Wakamala narrated his first encounter with Pastor Kayanja in his office around midday, where he reportedly gave him cash of 300,000 shillings before proceeding to massage him.
Wakamala is expected to be cross-examined by the State on 5th September 2025.
The nine accused persons in this case are: Peter Serugo, Reagan Ssentongo, Moses Tumwine, Khalifa Labeeb, Alex Wakamala, Martins Kagolo, Israel Wasswa, Jamil Mwanda and Aggrey Kinene.
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, commit a felony, criminal trespass and giving false information to police.
It is alleged that Serugo, Ssentongo, Khalifa, Wakamala and Kagoro, while employed in the Public Service as Police officers, gave false information to police detective IP Cotilda Nandutu, saying that Pastor Kayanja had performed unnatural offences 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.
Pastor Kayanja, who gave his testimony in court last year as a state witness, denied all the allegations, starting that the accusations are not new and that similar “plots to tarnish his name happened in 2010 and 2013” He cited cases were fellow pastors were convicted in 2010 for fabricating allegations against him and another case of 2013 were a man was arrested at Mulago hospital bribing a doctor to falsely medical documents to show that he had ever been sodomized to support allegations against him.
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