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A case against a man who allegedly circulated fake news that President Yoweri Museveni had died has been dismissed by a Luwero Chief Magistrate’s court. Since July 15, 2021, Jamir Ssekyondwa, a resident of Kabunyata trading centre in Kamira sub-county, Luwero district, has been on remand. He was arrested and charged with offending others in violation of section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act of 2011. According to the charge sheet, Ssekyondwa used his phone number 0707262*** to send messages to 0757453*** on July 5, 2021, claiming that Museveni had died when he had not. During the court hearing, Ssekyondwa pleaded guilty to the crime, and the prosecution asked the court to find him guilty. However, in his ruling, Luwero Chief Magistrate Samuel Munobe stated that the facts presented by the state do not reveal the major elements of the offence, such as repetitive communication or willfulness in such communication, and the interference with the right of privacy of the person in hearing. Munobe went on to say that the accused could not be found guilty based on these facts because it would violate the able constitution principles laid out in Article 28(12) of the Constitution of Uganda (1995) as amended, which states: Nothing in clause (l) of this article shall prevent the court or tribunal from excluding the press or the public from all or any proceedings before it for reasons of morality, public order, or national security, as may be necessary in a free and democratic society. “The facts, for that matter, do not reveal the legal offense.” Chief magistrate Munobe ruled, “The charge is dismissed, and the accused is accordingly discharged.” Ssekyondwa was taken aback by the decision and remained in the dock until the magistrate informed him that he had been released. Ssekyondwa had been on remand for eight months by the time he was released, despite the fact that the maximum sentence for the offense, if convicted, is only one year. Dorothy Mukasa, the executive director of Unwanted Witness, applauded the decision but chastised security agencies for using the Computer Misuse Act to silence Ugandans who use electronic platforms to express their views. As digital rights activists, Mukasa is concerned that the offence is selectively used to imprison people who criticize top government officials and President Museveni, but that these people never appear in court to demonstrate how their privacy has been violated. “Right now, you can’t demonstrate physically, so electronic platforms are your only option for expressing yourself.” Security organs, on the other hand, are closing the space, bringing the country to total dictatorship,” Mukasa said. And all the while, Swaibu Nsamba Gwogyolonga, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) chairperson for Katikamu South Constituency in Luwero district, is still fighting charges of offensive communication stemming from anti-Museveni Facebook posts. Nsamba was arrested in 2017 after writing a Facebook post about how he plans to announce and mourn Museveni’s death when he passes away. A Photoshopped image of Museveni and how he will appear after his death accompanied the post. He was granted Shs 50 million in non-cash bail. However, Nsamba’s case has never been resolved, and he is scheduled to appear in Magistrate Court at Buganda Road every month.
Felix Odupa, a former Kioga County MP candidate, has stated that after mourning the death of Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, his next step will be to spearhead the proposal to have the country’s president elected by parliament. Odupa stated on the NBS Morning Breeze show that he will accomplish this by collecting signatures to ensure that Uganda transitions from the current presidential system to a parliamentary democracy electoral system. He also revealed that the proposal has already received approval from the Electoral Commission. “After we pay our respects to our brother Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, we will begin collecting signatures to ensure that the president is elected by parliament.” “We’ve already received approval from the Electoral Commission,” Odupa said. According to Odupa, the country requires a solution to a number of issues with the current constitution, and one of those solutions is the proposal to change the electoral system. Early in January, a group of NRM party candidates who lost in the previous parliamentary elections backed the electoral system amendment proposal, led by Odupa, through their group Transformer Cadres Association Uganda. “We propose that parliament create a Senate or Upper House.” Political parties with representation in parliament will nominate members of the Senate of the Upper House. The Senate will be represented based on the strength of the parties in the lower house. This is intended to improve the quality of debate in the area of legislation.” In January, Odupa told journalists. If amended, this opens the way for a hybrid parliamentary system in which parliament and local government councils elect the head of government, who also serves as the head of state. When asked about his position on the proposal in January, President Museveni said that voting should be done by all Ugandans, not just Members of Parliament. “It limits such a President’s legitimacy.” “I don’t support and will not support that proposal because it should be for the entire population,” Museveni said in an interview with the NewVision.
Allan Ssewanyana, a detained Makindye West MP, is seeking an injunction to stop the election of the speaker of parliament until he is allowed to run for the same office. MPs are expected to vote on Friday for the next speaker of parliament to replace the late Jacob Oulanyah, who died on Sunday in the United States of America after being rushed for medical treatment. Ssewanyana, who is being held on remand at Kigo Maximum Prison on several murder and terrorist charges, says he has expressed interest in being the next speaker. Ssewanyana claims that while he is on remand, he is still only a suspect who is innocent until proven guilty, implying that he has all rights to engage in the process, including expressing interest and running for speakership. Similarly, in addition to being ill, spending too much time on remand without trial, and having numerous pending responsibilities for which he has been seeking bail, Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya told the court that if the current deputy speaker of parliament resigns, he would like to run for the position. The trial magistrate instructed the MPs’ counsel to study the appropriate legal routes via which their interests in the contest for speakership might be successfully represented when delivering her verdict, in which she further remanded the MPs until April 6. “……regarding the application that the accused parties want to make in relation to the speakership contest, this can be done through their counsels,” she said. Lukwago stated that before seeking an injunction to stop the ongoing process for the election of the speaker, he will seek an audience with the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LoP) Mathias Mpuuga to inform him of the MPs’ interest in running for the same position. MPs, on the other hand, had already expressed their dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the investigations into the murder charges leveled against them. They also blamed the prosecution, led by Richard Birivumbuka, the Masaka local chief state attorney, for what they called persecution, claiming that the state has continuously failed to find substantial evidence that would allow them to be committed to the High Court for trial. However, in his response, Birivumbuka requested that the court give him until the next adjournment to present the committal papers for the two MPs, claiming that he was nearing completion with the preparation of crucial witnesses in the case.
By Gad Masereka A key suspect in a string of murders in the Masaka sub-region has gone missing. Around 15 suspects, including two MPs from Makindye...
Mr Nathan Okori, Speaker Jacob Oulanyah’s father, has stated that his son died of “poisoned” causes rather than natural causes, but has also stated that the...
Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the former Speaker of Parliament, will declare her interest in resuming her coveted seat tomorrow, Tuesday. We’ve learned that a group of MPs gathered at Kadaga’s home in Muyenga on Monday evening to decide on the position left vacant by Jacob Oulanyah’s death. The meeting agreed that Kadaga, who has served two terms in Parliament, should go to the National Resistance Movement party’s electoral commission headquarters on Tuesday to declare her candidacy. “Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga is best suited and has the necessary experience to chair Parliament and provide leadership at this time,” said a meeting attendee. Anita Among, the Deputy Speaker, is also said to be in the running for the same position and is expected to arrive at the NRM electoral commission headquarters on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. Among, who has been the Deputy Speaker for 9 months, decided on Monday evening with her team to take a shot at the Speakership.
On Sunday morning in Strépy-Bracquegnies, near La Louvière, Belgium, a car crashed into a crowd of people gathered to attend a local carnival. Six people were killed. Another ten people were taken to nearby hospitals with life-threatening injuries, while another 27 were “slightly injured,” according to Deputy Crown Prosecutor Damien Verheyen.“A car came from the back at high speed and crashed into group, pulverized a large number of people, continuing its way before stopping a little further down,” La Louvière mayor Jacques Gobert told reporters as a group of carnival-goers marched towards the town center.Verheyen said the two men in the car, both from La Louvière and born in 1988 and 1990, were arrested. He went on to say that a “reconstruction” was needed. Verheyen stated the two men in the automobile were both from La Louvière and were born in 1988 and 1990. He went on to say that a “reconstruction of the facts” will be performed to determine the vehicle’s exact route and any possible reason.At 5 a.m. local time, the incident occurred. 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Brussels is Strépy-Bracquegnies.Officers claimed there was no evidence that the event was caused by a police chase, contrary to early allegations. They also stated that “no elements” have yet been discovered that indicate the occurrence “may be deemed a terrorist assault.” Five rescue vehicles and 16 ambulances were dispatched to the scene to transport the casualties to various hospitals in the area, according to authorities; 70 non-injured persons were also evacuated.On Sunday at 4 p.m. local time, Belgium’s King Philippe and Prime Minister Alexander De Croo were set to pay a visit to the scene.“His sympathies were with victims and their relatives,” De Croo remarked on Twitter. “Strépy-Bracquegnies has some bad news. A community celebration has been struck in the heart “he pennedAnnelies Verlinden, the Dutch interior minister, also tweeted her condolences “to the families and friends of those who died and were injured” in the event.“What was supposed to be a fun get-together turned into a disaster. We’re keeping a careful eye on the situation “In a tweet, she expressed herself.
Mbarara City Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the death of an Indian national in a city lodge. Narasimha Prasad, 57, was discovered deceased at B...
Residents in Luwero district are in fear after a group of unidentified armed men violently kidnapped a man. Umar Kabonge Ajobe, a resident of Kasana-Piida in Luwero Town Council, has been identified as the victim. According to the victim’s wife, at around 10 p.m., a Toyota Hiace dubbed the “drone” attacked their home with a group of men armed with pistols. They knocked on the door, she claims, but it was initially refused to open for them. She claims that seven men attacked her house and demanded that she remove her hijab. They then took images of her spouse before handcuffing him and pushing him to the ground. The men then took the two phones in the house, according to her, before inquiring what the spouse did for a job. Moments Kabonge was carried away to an unknown destination moments later. One of the area leaders, Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa Nsanja, the Luwero district Kadhi under the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), was the first to file a complaint. When contacted for comment, Savannah regional police spokesperson Isah Ssemwogerere told The New Light Paper that he had already tasked the regional CID to investigate. Sheikh Mulindwa, on the other hand, argued that the armed group may be part of the security force. He has challenged security to maintain a professional demeanor when making arrests. He also urged all Imams in his jurisdiction to continue embracing ongoing registration in order to facilitate easy rescue in the event of such kidnappings. Unidentified security operatives apprehended two Muslim clerics in the Luwero district in November last year for unknown reasons. Sheikh Swaibu Segujja, the Assistant Secretary for Zakat under the Luwero Muslim District, and the Imam of Butanza mosque in Katikamu Sub County were identified. Sheikh Muhammed Ssemwanga, Imam of Lusenke Mosque in Wobulenzi Town Council and teacher at Lugo Orphanage in Lukomera, Katikamu Sub-County, and Rashid Ibn Warid Islamic Primary School in Wobulenzi Town Council, were the others. Sheikh Muhammad Abbas Kirevu was shot and killed two days before the couple was apprehended. Wakiso district’s Makindye Ssabagabo division’s top Muslim cleric. The office of the Luwero District Kadhi began registering all Imams and other religious leaders at Mosques as a result of this development. The registration exercise, according to Luwero District Kadhi Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa, will aid his office in tracing and defending the Imams in the event of any arrests related to terror or other criminal conduct.
President Museveni has announced that the Speaker of Parliament, Jacob L’Okori Oulanyah, has died. On Sunday, Mr Museveni announced in a tweet that he learned about Oulanyah’s death around 10.30 a.m. “Countrymen and Countrywomen,” says the narrator. I regret to inform you of the passing of the Speaker of Parliament, the Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah. People who had been with him and the doctor who was caring for him in the intensive care unit informed me of this tragic news about 10.30 a.m. East African time. He was an excellent Cadre. Mr Museveni stated, “I postponed the news so that his children would be told first.” Mr Oulanyah was last seen in Parliament in December 2021, and by then, he had only chaired a few sessions, including the passage of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Bill, which allowed members’ savings to be accessed in the short term. In May 2021, he was elected as Speaker of the House. On February 4, Oulanyah flew out of the country for treatment, with reports claiming that the Uganda Airlines Bus A330-800 neo with registration code 5X-NIL flew him to Seattle, Washington in the United States. The journey was estimated to cost $500,000 in total (about Shs1.7b). The journey and admission of the Speaker infuriated a group of Ugandans living in the United States, who protested the trip....
By Our Reporter City tycoon Hamis Kiggundu also known as Ham through his company Kiham Enterprises Uganda Limited has released a statement clearing air on Kigo...
Locals in Busia District are still in disbelief after a naked primary school teacher was caught on camera smashing a 15-year-old student under a mango tree....
Another individual has been displayed by the National Unity Platform (NUP), who claims he was tortured by security personnel. Mr Yasiin Busulwa, who was purportedly detained in November 2020 and kept for more than a year, was brought into the NUP offices in Kamwokya, Kampala, on a hospital bed yesterday. When Mr Busulwa was handed a microphone to tell his experience, he struggled to talk and only managed a few words before crying.
By Gad Masereka Richard Michael Nataka, the former secretary general of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), was sentenced to 7 years in prison by a Kampala anti-corruption court for embezzling more than Shs 1 billion. Nataka was found guilty on four counts of embezzlement, inflicting financial loss, abuse of office, and conspiracy to defraud by a court presided over by grade one magistrate Moses Nabende. Between February 1, 2013 and September 30, 2013, he embezzled more than Shs 1.2 billion from URCS in Kampala, when he illegally approved and paid Buki Enterprises Limited for construction work at the African Youth Leadership and Training Centre (Namakwa). For the execution of the stated works, Nataka signed duplicate contracts in favor of Buki Enterprise, Jensani Construction, and Saki Technical Services Limited. Nataka, who was previously on trial with two others, Geoffrey Serunjogi and Geoffrey Weponde, the Uganda Red Cross Society’s deputy director for finance, was found guilty based on evidence from seven prosecution witnesses, while his co-accused were acquitted due to a lack of sufficient evidence to pin them. “The prison sentences will not be cumulative. The accused is also ordered to pay Uganda Red Cross Society 1,236, 917,932 shillings in compensation “Nabende remarked. Nataka has also been forbidden from holding public office for a ten-year period, as stipulated by the Anti-Corruption Act. The warrant of commitment from Nabende to the Superintendent of Prisons Murchison Bay Prison reads, “This is to authorize and require you, the said superintendent, to receive the said Nataka Richard Michael into your custody in the said prison together with the warrant and there carry out the aforementioned sentence into execution according to law.”
The centered S. Africa Zari Hassan, a Ugandan socialite and businesswoman, has revealed why she isn’t afraid to post bikini photos on the internet. The mother...
Derrick Ddungu alias Rickman Manrick has denied having coitus with Sheilah Carol Gashumba while she was still dating Marcus Ali Lwanga alias God’s Plan. On Valentine’s Day, the ‘Ebango’ singer threw cold water on the charges made by God’s Plan by revealing how Rickman used to gorge on his food, drink, and relax in his crib via his Snapchat account. God’s Plan was unaware that Rickman was developing feelings for Sheilah, which led to their relationship ending and Rickman hooking up with her right away. Rickman dismissed all reports about sleeping with Sheilah Gashumba while she was still dating God’s Plan in an interview with NLP. Is it...
Geoffrey Eya, the headteacher of Odokomac primary school, is being investigated by police in Apac district, northern Uganda, for the alleged theft of 35 school desks....
By Mukidi Hannington Police in Masaka have detained a 17-year-old boy for kidnapping a five-year-old youngster and demanding a Shs 12 million ransom. On Wednesday, Andrew...
By Gad Masereka Due to terror concerns, security has been increased at boarding stations of public transport water vessels that operate between Masaka district and the...
After being released from Kitalya jail, where he had been held for illegal demonstrations, mr. Mosh Ssendi denounces torture and illegal confinement. Mr. Mosh, along with...
