Pastor Robert Kayanja Calls for Tougher Sentences in Blackmail Case
Pastor Robert Kayanja of Lubaga Miracle Center has urged the Magistrates’ Court at Mwanga II to impose harsh penalties if his alleged blackmailers are convicted, warning that lighter sentences encourage a cycle of defamation and extortion.
“Lenient sentences for those who tarnish reputations have only fueled more blackmail,” Kayanja said. “Everyone now believes they can profit through blackmail. But I’ve been here before—there’s little left unsaid about me.”
This was Pastor Kayanja’s plea to Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba, as the court sought clarity on why Kayanja’s accusers, including fellow pastors, have repeatedly accused him of engaging in sodomy since 2010.
Referring to the magistrate’s inquiry as a ‘million-dollar question,’ Kayanja recounted the 2010 Buganda Road Court case, in which pastors Solomon Male and others were found guilty of providing false information against him.
“They received minor community service sentences, when a heavier punishment would have been appropriate. This leniency only emboldened others to continue attacking my character,” Kayanja explained.
He pointed out that the light sentencing in 2010 led to a similar incident in 2013, where two men, Muwanguzi and Nsubuga, were found guilty by the Mwanga II Court of providing false information. Later, they were imprisoned by the Anti-Corruption Court for attempting to bribe a doctor at Mulago Hospital to falsify sodomy-related medical reports.
Kayanja firmly stated, “Enough is enough,” and called for stringent punishments that would deter others from pursuing blackmail schemes against him.
In his testimony, Pastor Kayanja was called upon to testify against nine former youths accused of trespassing at his church and falsely reporting to police that he had sodomized them. Kayanja explained that he first encountered the group during his 2017 revival crusade, known as 77 DOGs, when they were among those who came forward to give their lives to Christ.
The defense lawyer questioned how Kayanja knew that the accused were members of a notorious gang known as “Kifesi.” In response, the pastor presented a 2017 video from the revival, where he identified the suspects as those seeking redemption.
“We helped them move away from a life of crime, but their true colors soon emerged when they began working at my farm in Kiryandongo,” Kayanja testified. He added that the group eventually abandoned their duties, leaving livestock to die and crops to rot, while they terrorized local communities.
Reagan Ssentongo and Khalifa Labeeb, members of the group, were convicted of aggravated robbery and assault, and are currently serving time in Kiryandongo Prison.
Following Kayanja’s testimony, Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya closed the prosecution’s case, requesting that the nine suspects be put on defense. The defense, however, sought more time to submit written pleas for acquittal, leading the court to adjourn the case until November 8, 2024.
Reported by Kyabise_uganda
www.kyabise.com
