By Our Reporter,
KAMPALA
Mwanga II Magistrates Court has issued a warrant of arrest against Moses Tumwine, one of the accused persons in the case in which nine people are accused of giving false information to police, accusing Miracle Centre Cathedral’s leader senior Pastor Robert Kayanja of Sodomy.
This follows Moses Tumwiine for absconding the court proceedings three times. The court presided over by Senior Principal Magistrate Grade One Adams Byarugaba issued a warrant of arrest on Friday morning against Tumwine. He directed any police officer to arrest him on sight immediately and bring him to court on the next session on May 5th, 2025.
The same magistrate also issued summons to sureties of Moses Tumwine to appear before court and explain why they shouldn’t be ordered to forfeit the bail bond they committed to paying in case he runs away from the trial.
The accused are; Peter Serugo, Reagan Ssentongo, Moses Tumwine, Khalifa Labeeb, Alex Wakamala, Martins Kagolo, Israel Wasswa, Jamil Mwanda, and Aggrey Kinene who were found that they forced their way into Miracle Centre Cathedral on September 17, 2021, shouting vulgarities with the intention of annoying the pastor claiming of being sodomized which later Mwanga II Magistrate’s court ruled that the nine youths have a case to answer for allegedly falsely accusing pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy.
In his testimony in October 2024, Kayanja told court that the nine individuals of a conspiracy to frame him, linking one of the accused, Israel Wasswa, to pastor Jackon Ssenyonga, his longtime rival.
Kayanja expressed frustration over the repeated false accusations against him, citing previous cases in 2010 and 2013, where he was falsely accused of sodomy. He noted that in the 2010 case, five pastors – Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Martin Sempa, Mukalazi, and Deborah Kyomuhendo were found guilty of falsely accusing him but were only sentenced to 100 hours of community service by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court.
Kayanja also referenced the 2013 case where two individuals; Moses Muhanguzi and Ibrahim Nsubuga, falsely accused him of sodomy. He stated that they were handed non-deterrent sentences for attempting to bribe a doctor to conclude that they had been sodomized.
The Warrant was issued following a request by the Prosecution’s Chief State Attorney, Jonathan Muwaganya, who informed the Court that Tumwine has been absent for three consecutive times without any valid reasons yet he keeps instructing the lawyers to represent him as well as giving new instructions to other lawyers.
Adams then noted that if Moses Tumwine doesn’t appear in court, his sureties should go to prison so that others learn that bail shouldn’t be used to abscond from trial. The magistrate then asked Lawyer Humphrey Tumwesigye where his client, Moses Tumwine, was and told the magistrate that efforts to reach him have been futile.
But Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya informed the court that despite being absent, Tumwine continued to instruct new lawyers, including Tusingwire Wesley, to represent him Muwaganya prayed for a warrant of arrest against Tumwine and his sureties, arguing that they had failed to abide by their agreement with the court.
Key to note
Why the delaying tactics?
The last sitting lawyer said he was sick and asked for adjournment.
How can a lawyer say he doesn’t have contact(s) with his client?
Why did some of the accused, especially Pastor Ssenyonga workers, refuse to testify under oath if they have nothing to fear?
