New charges against jailed MP Kahonda politically motivated – lawyer

Ruhinda county MP waves to his supporters at Jinja court on. PHOTO BY TAUSI NAKATO

What you need to know:

  • The charges that informed the judgment against the legislator stemmed from allegations that he uttered a Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) to Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and pretended to be Mutabazi Levan Dickson whereas not.
  • The embattled MP appeared before the Jinja High Court Judge Eva Luswata on Monday for a hearing of his bail application in this matter pending appeal of the judgment. The matter was deferred to Thursday.

Mr Caleb Mwesigwa, one of the lawyers of jailed Ruhinda County MP Rtd Captain Donozio Kahonda has described fresh charges against his client as politically engineered.

Mr Kahonda, a political rival of Justice Minister Kahinda Otafiire was on Friday picked from Kirinya Prison and produced before the Luweero Chief Magistrate Charles Sserubuga and charged with two fresh counts of forgery and uttering false documents.

Prosecution alleges that Kahonda forged an Ordinary level (O-level) and Advanced Level (A-level) Certificate of Education which were presented to Ndejje University for admission.

But Mr Mwesigwa says such charges against his client are another fishing expedition to ensure that Kahonda is swept of the political scene and kept in detention.
The lawyer questioned the urgency that caused his client’s immediate presentation before court in Luweero even when he was receiving medication for pneumonia and malaria. He however, claims that the rush was in anticipation that the Jinja High Court could grant him bail.

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Kahonda is supposed to be produced before the Luweero Chief Magistrate Court today (Tuesday) for yet another bail application hearing in relation to the new charges.
Kahonda, a retired Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) captain, was in a June 7 judgment found guilty of 11 counts of impersonation, forgery and uttering false documents by the Jinja Chief Magistrates Court and was immediately sent to Kirinya Prison.

The charges that informed the judgment against the legislator stemmed from allegations that he uttered a Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) to Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and pretended to be Mutabazi Levan Dickson whereas not.

Kahonda was also accused of having forged a medical report on UPDF entry form at the Military Academy in Jinja in the name of Mutabazi Levan Dickson and purported that the same document was genuine whereas not.

The embattled MP appeared before the Jinja High Court Judge Eva Luswata on Monday for a hearing of his bail application in this matter pending appeal of the judgment. The matter was deferred to Thursday.