How Shs6m testimony landed a 24-year-old in jail

Nelson Muhwezi, 24, perhaps now understands the expression ‘desperate situations call for desperate measures’ better. A desperate solution to his financial predicaments landed him in the hands of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI).
April 16, 2017, Easter Sunday will probably remain one of the most unforgettable days in Muhwezi’s life when he was reportedly persuaded into giving a testimony worth Shs6m at Evangelical Truth Ministries, also known as, ETM International Church on Salaama Road in the Kampala outskirts.
At the time, he was fresh from Luzira Prison where he had served a 15-month jail term on charges of stealing computers worth Shs700m.
He claims to have been incarcerated on crimes perhaps committed by his colleagues in Namugongo where he worked as a security guard. To him, being detained on trumped-up charges was perhaps a punishment from God for his previous sins that included stealing his father’s coffee, robbery, house and shop break-ins.
“I had previously stolen my father’s coffee and we fell out. He chased me from home and I joined a security group. I could lend my gun to some people and on some days I would participate in robberies involving millions of money but I was never arrested. However, when I was dragged to prison for crimes I had not committed, I knew I was paying for past sins,” Muhwezi says.

Road to prison
In March 2016, Muhwezi phoned his friend, Jimmy Tugume who he had previously met during their armed robberies. This was after he had sold off his plot in Kasangati to save a colleague who had been shot for robbery in Arua.
Muhwezi got stuck and was jobless. He needed to earn a living. Tugume was apparently working with a private security group in Namugongo, Kira Municipality in Wakiso District. He was the acting director of the security group because its proprietors were abroad.
“Tugume listened to my cry and I was recruited. I started working but without an appointment letter. I was assigned to protect the company offices,” Muhwezi says.
In his second month at the job, a woman who identified herself as the landlady stormed the office demanding Shs1.6m rent arrears. He called Tugume and informed him of how the property owner wanted rent.
“Our bosses haven’t paid that woman. We owe her a lot of money and I am tired of telling lies to her. Find a way to convince her because we do not have money. Tell her to come back after three days,” Tugume responded to Muhwezi in a telephone conversation.
The charged woman left but returned with a court order giving the tenants a two-month ultimatum to vacate.
Tugume quit the job and gave all the company details and bosses’ contacts to Muhwezi. The new acting director [Muhwezi] rang the founders but they did not respond for more than a fortnight. Later they, replied to his text and directed him to someone where he picked money which he used to rent new premises. Three days into his new office, Muhwezi received a phone call informing him how their former landlady was hunting for him. He walked to her, perhaps to understand why she was searching for him. The woman accused him of stealing computers she had purchased for Cavendish University where she lectures. The computers were reportedly worth Shs700m. Muhwezi was arrested and detained at Kira Division Police Station.
Muhwezi was arraigned in court and remanded to Luzira Prison. His case spent a year in court until he was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail. He completed the jail term with numerous questions on why he had been given a lenient sentence yet his case involved millions of money.
“I believe the landlady trumped-up these charges against me because she was angry because of her rent arrears. I feel a lot of pain for the time I spent in cells on fabricated charges,” he says.

Set free but not free
Like most prisoners, Muhwezi had nowhere to start from. He says he went to seek refuge at Christian Life Ministries in Bwaise where he spent close to two months. On his first day, he says he introduced himself as one convicted by the Holy Spirit to stay at church for exorcism. When he was asked the details, he promised to share after being healed. He did not make any confessions for fear of being isolated. He would sleep in the church and spend the day searching for jobs in vain.
One evening, he met a woman on Bombo Road who told him about ETM Ministries where he could be redeemed from his past sins.
“I wanted a church where I would confess my past and relive a normal life. My focus was to feel free and get saved from Satan,” he says.
Muhwezi arrived at ETM International Church on the eve of Easter in the afternoon. He was welcomed by two men who asked him whether he was new to the church and answered in affirmative.
“They asked me whether I had any confessions to make on Easter Sunday. I told them I wanted to confess my past sins. They said my confession was too weak and it could not earn me any [help] sympathy. They advised me to say I was a former ADF rebel and thereafter, I would be paid Shs6m,” Muhwezi recollects.
Muhwezi says he first declined the offer. On second thought, he accepted it because he had no home and wanted money to start a new life. This money could turn his fortune.

CMI arrest
By 9am, Muhwezi was ready with his “life changing” testimony and perhaps plans on how he was going to spend the money were running on his mind. When, the second service began, new worshippers were asked to stand up and Muhwezi was among them.
New members were asked to explain how they had got to know about the church, what had driven them there, especially on such a special day (Easter Sunday). And then, give testimonies.
“I told the congregation that I had been an ADF member and I had participated in numerous killings in the country. I said that God’s voice had compelled me to confess and denounce my evil acts. I asked the congregation to pray for me so that I could be cleansed,” he recollects.
Muhwezi says worshippers clapped and praised God while others gaped and shook their heads after his testimony. After the service that ended at 3pm, he walked to a retail shop opposite the church and waited to meet the person who had promised him money. About 15 minutes later, a black van parked near the shop and two men casually dressed emerged. With his security guard experience, he realised he was under attack but remained firm.
“A gentleman came and asked for airtime while another stood next to me. He asked me what I was up to acting like a person who knew me. Before I could answer, about 10 soldiers armed with guns emerged from the van and I was dragged into the van and blindfolded,” he says.
Muhwezi was driven to CMI headquarters at Mbuya and taken to a dark room. He was asked to reveal all the ADF rebels he had worked with in Kampala and other areas. He denied having ever been an ADF rebel. The denial earned him slaps on his face.
“Are you not the one in this video? Why are you fooling us? You will tell us about your fellow rebels whether you want or not. We are not here to play games,” soldiers yelled.
Muhwezi was released a week after the army realised that his explanation that the confession was based on a Shs6m promise by church members was genuine. They had run body and blood tests more than once.
“They took me to a commander whose name I cannot remember and I found her with scan results of my body and fingerprints. She asked me why the results show that my palms had ever held a gun. I told her I was a security guard. She had photos of me as a guard holding a gun,” he recalls.
He was put in a van and dropped off at Bugolobi and warned never to go back to ETM church. Soldiers told him to be careful with ‘stupid’ confessions because they have spies in all places of worship.

In jail again
Muhwezi looked for his cousin in Bujjuuko, Mityana District and asked him to reconcile with the father and reunite with his family. The father asked them to stay together for a year to monitor his conduct. “Through my new friends, I got an opportunity as a casual worker and turn boy at a Chinese company,” he says.
In his third month at the new job, Muhwezi was assigned to accompany a driver who was delivering goods to Mubende District. Their truck broke down near his cousin’s home. The driver rushed to look for a mechanic and Muhwezi was left to watch the cargo. He decided to call his cousin to meet him for a chat. Midway through the conversation, he went to respond to nature’s call. On return, the driver too had arrived with a mechanic and the problem was fixed. Before they drove off to continue, the driver asked why one side of the tarpaulin was loose. He opened and noticed that the generator was missing. He immediately tasked Muhwezi to bring back the generator. Muhwezi’s pleas of innocence did not save him the arrest and detention at Muduuma Police Station in Mityana.
“I was not part of the team that had loaded the cargo and I could not confirm cargo details. I was taken to court and later convicted,” Muhwezi says.

Joining Kuteesa Foundation
As he served his fifth month in jail, Muhwezi received information that his brother had stolen and sold the generator to someone in Bujjuko town. In March, Godfrey Kuteesa Foundation with its Life After Prison Project visited Muduuma Prison where they found Muhwezi left with a month to complete his sentence.
“We found youth at Muduuma Prison and we realised they needed counselling because some were bitter. We counselled and informed them that God has a plan for us to manoeuvre,” Godfrey Kuteesa says.
Muhwezi called Kuteesa for counselling. The duo under Life After Prison project visit prisons to show love and give hope to detainees.
“I realised that I need to work with people such as Muhwezi to give life and hope to former inmates because some of them found themselves in cells without clear crimes while others were arrested for crimes they could have avoided if they had been mentored,” Kuteesa says.

Spies in places of worship
Security is anywhere including places of worship and shopping centres. Patrick Onyango, Deputy Police spokesperson, warns people against making statements that threaten country’s security.
“You should know places of worship are frequented by all kinds people including security officers, ministers and other people with security experience. If a security person assesses that the statements or confessions you have made could threaten security he or she might call police or take action,” Patrick Onyango, Deputy Police Spokesperson.

Advice to youth
Muhwezi cautions youth against undermining parents’ advice because it could be the start of one’s life woes. Citing his example, Muhwezi says any bad statement a parent makes about a child in anger could have a negative impact. “I believe all the suffering I have gone through is because I refused to listen to my parents. My father is still angry with me because I dropped out of school and engaged in crimes that embarrass him. He counselled me but I did not listen,” Muhwezi says.