Kayanja forgives pastors
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/743172
The New Vision, Saturday, 8th, January, 2011
PASTOR Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre has forgiven his colleagues who alleged that he was a homosexual and had abused his followers. But the law will still have to take its course for the public to get to know the truth.
“Sodomy is not something you can allege against someone but I have forgiven my brothers. That is exactly what Jesus Christ would have done,” Kayanja said. “I also want justice at the end. That will come out in court. But for my own spiritual state, I forgive them.”
Pastors Moses Solomon Male of Arising for Christ Church, Martin Sempa of Makerere Community Church, Michael David Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre and his colleague Bob Robert Kayira, accused Kayanja of sodomizing members of his flock, but the Police said they did not have substantial evidence.
The Police instead brought charges against them for conspiring to injure Kayanja’s reputation between 2008 and 2009. They appeared before a Magistrate at Buganda Road Court in Kampala on Tuesday.
However, Male said it was not necessary for Kayanja to forgive them, because they had not done anything wrong against him. Speaking on phone to Saturday Vision, Male said what they said against Kayanja was based on facts and not allegations and they were ready to face him in court. “A criminal cannot forgive an innocent man. Kayanja needs to apologise to the nation for the evils he committed.”
Pastor Joseph Sserwada, the leader of the Born-again Faith Federation, had asked Kayanja and his accusers to settle the matter outside court but the parties insist it should be settled in court for the good of the public.
Kayanja told Saturday Vision that the allegations changed his life and the way he relates with other people and the environment at the Church.
“I am currently fixing cameras in every corner of the church and in my office to prevent similar allegations from resurfacing. I also meet my visitors in an open room for the same purpose.”
CID under probe over harassment of pastor
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/1084562/-/cjcpk8z/-/index.html
Kampala
The Professional Standards Unit of the Police Force (PSU) was on Monday instructed to investigate the conduct of officers in the Criminal Investigation Department over complaints that they have been harassing five Kampala pastors.
The instructions followed a closed-door meeting between senior police officers and the complainants. Pastors Robert Kayiira, Michael Kyazze, Martin Ssempa and Solomon Male appeared before Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate John Wekesa on Tuesday and were charged with conspiracy to injure the reputation of Pastor Kayanja.
The pastors were released on a Shs200,000 cash bail each. Pastors Kayiira and Kyazze are also on trial for alleged Criminal Trespass on Rubaga Miracle Centre property.
Without giving detail, Assistant Inspector General of Police John Ochola confirmed the new developments. “We are looking into the matter administratively. If we find that the officers acted unprofessionally, we will inform the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. This would mean that their actions had a bearing on the outcome of the investigations,” he said. This newspaper has since established the identities of the officers but cannot publish them because investigations are still in its infancy.
Puzzling events
Efforts to reach Pastor Kayanja have been futile. But records show that he has never appeared in court to testify, a thing that has puzzled many. He is said to have told his congregation a week before Christmas that pastors Male and Ssempa would be arrested before Christmas. In the week that followed, Pastor Male was arrested.
Their outcry led to the President’s intervention after CID director Edward Ochom stated that Pastor Kayanja was not influencing investigations.
In a press conference on January 1, the pastors expressed concern over patterns of harassment and the whereabouts of the initial sodomy victims. “All those who have accused these pastors of molestation and sodomy have themselves been accused of other things and eventually arrested. Those assisting them are also being witch-hunted. We do not even know where these victims are,” Kyazze told journalist.
The pastors return to court on January 24 and 25.
