The trial of nine men who are accused of making false claims against Pastor Robert Kayanja has been delayed.
The men said that the pastor, who leads Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral in Kampala, sodomised them. But the prosecution says the claims were made up.
On Wednesday, during a court session at Mwanga II Court, the trial could not continue. One of the main reasons is that the lead prosecutor, Mr. Jonathan Muwaganya, was sick and did not come to court. His colleague, Ms. Carol Mpumwire, brought a letter from him to explain his absence. The letter was dated May 22.
In the letter, Mr. Muwaganya asked the court to postpone the case to another day. He also asked the defence lawyers to fully share all the evidence they plan to use in the trial. This is called “disclosure” and is an important part of the legal process.
The prosecution says the defence is hiding important details about what their clients will say in court. This makes it hard for the prosecution to prepare properly, especially when it comes to asking the right questions during cross-examination.
In criminal trials, both sides must share their evidence in advance. This helps make the trial fair and avoids what lawyers call a “trial by ambush” — where one side is surprised in court by new information they were not prepared for.
The prosecution says they already gave the defence all their documents and proof before the trial began. They now want the defence to do the same.
Last year in November, the court decided that there was enough evidence to continue with the trial. Grade One Magistrate Adams Byarugaba ruled that the accused men must now present their defence.
The nine men are charged with two main crimes. First, they are accused of trespassing on church property — Rubaga Miracle Centre — with the purpose of annoying or disturbing Pastor Kayanja. Second, they are accused of lying to the police by reporting that Pastor Kayanja had sodomised them.
During the trial, Pastor Kayanja gave his side of the story. He appeared as the thirteenth witness for the prosecution.
He strongly denied the claims. He told the court that similar accusations had been made against him in 2010 and 2013 by other people, including some pastors. He said those earlier cases were thrown out by the courts.
Pastor Kayanja also said that he believes these repeated accusations are part of a long plan to damage his name and reputation as a church leader.
Since the defence has not yet shared its evidence and the prosecution is also waiting for Mr. Muwaganya to recover, the case has been pushed to a later date. The court will decide on the new date after both issues are resolved.
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