The Founder of Miracle Centre Cathedral, Pastor Robert Kayanja, in the dock on October 7, 2024 at Mwanga II Court in Mengo, Kampala, where he testified against a group of his nine former workers who accused him of sodomising them. He said they were his former workers who are being sponsored by other pastors. PHOTO / ABUBAKER LUBOWA
Renowned city pastor Robert Kayanja yesterday took to the witness dock and testified how nine people, whom he had taken on to be part of his church's security team, turned around and accused him of sodomising them.
Pastor Kayanja, the senior pastor of Rubaga Miracle Cathedral, narrated to the court presided over by Principal Magistrate Adams Byarugaba how he met the accused persons during his famous revival church sessions dubbed 77 Dogs in 2016.
He said six out of the nine suspects belonged to the notorious city gang known as kifeesi.
“They (kifeesi group) said they were tired of that life and needed rehabilitation and the church openly received them. They were also very vital in helping us identify wrong elements in areas of security... like people who had come to pickpocket, steal and cause havoc and they showed a desire to join the church security,” pastor Kayanja narrated at Mwanga II Court in Mengo, Kampala.
The accused persons are Peter Serugo, 21, Reagan Ssentongo, 21, Moses Tumwine, 25, Khalifah Labeeb, 22, Alex Wakamala, 22, and Martins Kagolo, 22.
Others are Israel Wasswa, 25, Jamil Mwanda, 22, and Aggrey Kinene, 21.
Further in his testimony, Pastor Kayanja, who was the 13th prosecution witness, told the court that after the group had promised to change, they were recruited at Kabalye training school to acquire police training.
He said upon completion of their training, they were deployed at his church and also at his farm in Kiryandongo on a rotational basis.
“This came with accommodation, an allowance as it had been agreed, and that the rest of the salary would be saved on their behalf until such a time when they became adults and independent,” Pastor Kayanja said.
Adding: “I, however, began receiving reports of theft, aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, and abandonment of the farm by the suspects. They later told me that they were tired of working and needed all their money paid and I sent them to the finance department where a figure of how much each demands us and we agreed the same would be paid in installments.”
The suspects face four counts of criminal charges ranging from conspiracy to defeat justice, conspiracy to commit a felony, criminal trespass, and giving false information.
Pastor Kayanja told the presiding magistrate that before paying them their final installment, the group came to the church and started roughing up everyone while claiming he had sodomized them and that they needed their dues.
“At that time I received a photo of them at Christian Life Ministries in Bwaise where I understand Kinene and Wasswa were working and a few days later on September 17, 2021, they came to Rubaga Miracle Center,” Pastor Kayanja said.
Adding: “To my surprise, it was during Covid-19 lockdown when no one was allowed to access the church, the suspects breached security, roughed and beat up the people at the church gate, entered and began shouting obscenities while filming and recording themselves that they had come to be paid their sodomy money having been sodomised by me and some other people at the church.”
Pastor Kayanja claimed that a few days after the group had been arrested, while at a vigil, his fellow born again pastor Jackson Ssenyonga, who spoke before him, said: “We have a monster in this place who has been sodomising young boys and when they went to demand their money, he got them arrested because he has bribed police and now they are in jail.”
After his testimony, Pastor Kayanja was cross-examined by defence lawyers representing the suspects.
Pastor Kayanja denied being a homosexual, adding that this was not the first time such allegations had been brought against him.
Pointing fingers
He said in 2010 fellow pastors; Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Martin Ssempa, and two other people were convicted and sentenced to 100 hours of community service by Buganda Road Court after they falsely accused him of sodomising young boys.
He also cited another case in 2013 where he said two people; Ibrahim Nsubuga and Moses Muwagunzi had accused him of sodomising them.
It is the prosecution’s case that Serugo, Ssentongo, Khalifa, Wakamala, and Kagoro on or about September 17, 2021, in Kampala conspired together to falsely accuse Pastor Kayanja of unnatural offences.
Under the charge of giving false information to the police, prosecution said the group in 2021 at various police stations in Kampala gave police officer Cotilda Nandutu information that they knew to be false that Pastor Kayanja had performed unnatural offences with them.
The prosecution said they gave this false information knowing that the said police officer would devote most of her time and services investigating it.
Cross examination
Defense Lawyer: Have you ever showered with any of the accused persons?
Pastor Kayanja: No
Defense Lawyer: If you have never showered with any of the accused persons who worked at the farm how did they know that their boss Robert Kayanja is not circumcised?
Pastor Kayanja: I am 62 year old, a Christian and not a Muslim and I am not promiscuous. not so many men of my age are circumcised if it is not for medical purposes or hygiene. When we had campaigns to stop HIV we used to have meetings, and I publicly declared that I am circumcised and even in 2010 I was asked the same question. The whole world wrote that I was not circumcised. So, it's common knowledge that the whole world knows that I'm not circumcised.
Defense lawyer: Don't you find it disturbing that it is always you being accused of Sodomy? Are you the only pastor around?
Pastor Kayanja: It is disturbing but I am not the only one, only that I have got the courage to speak it out and prosecute before court those people who spread malicious information.
Defense lawyer: How did Wakamala get to know that you have a scar at your back
Pastor Kayanja: It is common knowledge anybody can see my scar (turns and shows the scar to court) and at the farm we do not wear jackets.
Defense lawyer: If we brought an audio of you asking Ssentogo that Kakwate mpola mpola, ako okafunziza, what will you say
Pastor Kayanja: Please bring the audio
Defence: Do you have a video of these people coming to your church we seek for an adjournment so that you can provide it.
Pastor Kayanja: We have the footage at church which shows them, and this cannot warrant for an adjournment, I will provide it.
The case has been adjourned to October 17 for further cross examination of Pastor Kayanja.
