Is Pastor Ssenyonga the Invisible Hand Behind the Accusations Against Pastor Kayanja?

In the shadows of Uganda’s high-profile legal battle involving Pastor Robert Kayanja, a troubling question lingers: Who is pulling the strings behind the nine young men accused of fabricating sodomy allegations against the prominent cleric? The case, which has dragged through the courts since 2021, reeks of orchestration—a calculated campaign to tarnish Kayanja’s reputation, with whispers of a rival’s involvement growing louder.

The accused—Martin Kagoro, Peter Serugo, Reagan Ssentongo, Moses Tumwine, and five others—face charges of false testimony, conspiracy, and criminal trespass. Among them, Serugo, Ssentongo, and three others were police officers at the time, accused of weaponizing their positions to mislead investigators .

Medical evidence dismantled their claims, showing no signs of sodomy, while phone records and witness testimonies painted a picture of collusion . Yet, what’s most striking is the defense’s sophistication: a legal team of seasoned lawyers, including Humphrey Tumwesigye and Robert Ojambo, representing men who were once low-paid farmhands and security guards. “These lawyers don’t work pro bono,” a court observer noted. “Someone is bankrolling this.”

That “someone,” sources suggest, may be Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga, Kayanja’s longtime rival. Phone matrices submitted in court revealed frequent contact between the accused and Ssenyonga’s camp, particularly through his assistant, Aggrey Kinene—one of the defendants .

Israel Wasswa, another accused, was Ssenyonga’s head of security, further threading the needle of connection. When two of the youths, Ssentongo and Khalifa Labeeb, were arrested for assaulting a resident near Kayanja’s farm, it was Ssenyonga who dispatched lawyers to secure their bail .

The defense’s tactics have raised eyebrows. Delays, like the months-long stall over Ssentongo’s confiscated phone—claimed to hold “crucial evidence”—have been dismissed by prosecutors as stalling .

Meanwhile, Moses Tumwine’s repeated absences prompted arrest warrants for him and his sureties, with the court accusing him of “deliberately absconding” . When Kagoro took the stand, his refusal to testify under oath and his tearful, contradictory account of alleged abuse only deepened suspicions of coaching .

Kayanja, weary of a decade-long pattern of accusations, has framed this as a final stand. In 2010, five pastors, including Solomon Male and Martin Sempa, were convicted of similar false claims but received mere community service. In 2013, two men tried bribing a doctor to corroborate their lies . “Enough is enough,” Kayanja declared in court last October, demanding a punitive sentence to deter future smears .

But beyond the courtroom drama lies a broader clash of egos and influence. Ssenyonga’s alleged role—if proven—would expose a bitter feud playing out through legal warfare. “This isn’t just about sodomy allegations,” a source close to the case remarked. “It’s about two powerful pastors, and one using these boys as pawns.” As the defense resumes on May 5, all eyes are on whether the invisible hand will finally be unmasked—or if the shadows will keep their secrets.