Sodomy pastors have case to answer

Pastor Sempa (L) and his lawyers chat outside Buganda Road Court after the hearing yesterday. Photo by Faiswal Kasirye

What you need to know:

Reverse gear. Four pastors had accused Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomising his followers but the accused filed malice case against his accusers.

Buganda Road Court Grade One Magistrate Patrick Wekesa yesterday ruled that the four pastors who accused Pastor Robert Kayanja of sodomy have a case to answer.

The quartet, Solomon Male of Arising for Christ, Martin Sempa of Makerere Christian Centre, Robert Kayiira and Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Ministries are jointly charged with Ms Dorothy Kyomuhendo, former State House aide, and artiste David Mukalazi.

The accused persons have been witnesses and accusers of Pastor Kayanja over allegations that he sodomised a member of his Rubaga Miracle Centre cathedral.

Magistrate Wekesa held: “Investigations yielded contrary results but the accused persons are hereby put on defence. You are free to make sworn statements but you be warned that if you do so, you will be cross-examined.”

He ruled after the state closed its case with 21 witnesses having testified in the controversial case whose trial started in January.

However, yesterday’s proceedings were laced with drama after Mr Wekesa declined to hear an application by lawyers representing the four pastors, describing their submissions as “nonsense and rubbish.”

Mr Wekesa’s statement was prompted by Mr Kato Sekabanja’s request to make an application before the ruling of no-case-to-answer in the sodomy trial. The magistrate, who threatened to throw Mr Sekabanja out of court, said: “No, no! no, keep quiet; you are talking nonsense, I want to deliver my ruling. Sit down.”
He, however, later directed Mr Sekabanja to make the application on December 19.