Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The testimony of the first witness in the trial of Caroline Kembabazi, an Assistant Private Secretary to President Yoweri Museveni couldn’t be concluded at Buganda Road Magistrates Court this evening due to technological issues.
Kembabazi is accused of using her position to intimidate and lie to the Human Resource Officers at the Electoral Commission that President Museveni had assigned her to give jobs to three of her relatives to be deployed as Assistant District Registrars. The three are Kenneth Magezi, Duncan Muramuzi and Elia Abomeire.
This evening, Kembabazi who has been on remand for three weeks, appeared via video link from Kigo Prison, to the court presided over by Grade One Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu to commence for the hearing of the case. In court was the head of Human Resource at the Electoral Commission James Niwamanya who was presented as the first witness.
However, the process was frustrated by a blackout at Kigo prison. Niwamanya couldn’t finish his testimony because the documentary evidence he had presented couldn’t be projected to be visibly seen by the accused. The said proof was a small piece of paper where Kembabazi had written her name, title and contact so that she would easily gain access to Niwamanya’s office.
As a result, Kembabazi’s lawyers led by Humphrey Tumwesigye objected to the trial saying that until their client first looks at the documents to prove whether she is the one who had written them.
Before this, Niwamanya had testified that after being suspicious of how Kembabazi had frequented his office and sent several messages to follow up the recruitment of three of her relatives, he contacted his friend in State House Farouk Kirunda who reportedly told him that there was no official communication from the President and that Kembabazi was not being honest.
Kirunda advised Niwamanya to report to the State House Comptroller Lucy Nakyobe, who connected Niwamanya to Lt General Proscovia Nalweyiso who worked out a plan that led to the arrest by the State House Anti Corruption Unit
Niwamanya also told the court that all the three people whom Kembabazi wanted to be given jobs were introducing to the EC longa after the recruitment drive, in which they participated and failed the interviews. Kembabazi has now been remanded further until January 8, 2021, for the trial to resume.
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