KAMPALA, Uganda – A court hearing for nine youths accused of fabricating sodomy allegations against prominent Pastor Robert Kayanja was postponed Friday after the presiding magistrate fell ill.
The defense hearing at the Mwanga II Magistrates Court was unable to proceed due to the indisposition of Magistrate Adams Byarugaba.
The delay followed a tense court session earlier in the week where one of the accused, Martin Kagoro, 24, gave an unsworn account claiming Kayanja offered him money and promises of overseas travel for sexual favors.
Kagoro, who said he became involved with Rubaga Miracle Centre in 2019 and later underwent police training, told the court Monday he was arrested the following year after demanding what he was allegedly owed.
“I lived in a house rented by the pastor. He made us promises, but when we demanded what was due, police came for us,” Kagoro said, his testimony delivered without taking an oath, shielding him from cross-examination.
State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya has questioned the accusations, citing medical reports from Mulago National Referral Hospital that showed “normal results” from anal examinations and no physical signs consistent with the alleged abuse.
The nine youths were formally put on defense in November 2024 after the court ruled they had a case to answer for allegedly trespassing on church property and providing false information to police. Prosecutors contend the group stormed Rubaga Miracle Cathedral on Sept. 17, 2021, and subsequently filed false sexual abuse complaints at Kawempe Police Station.
The court is also still enforcing arrest warrants for three sureties – Tracy Namugga, Patrick Ayebare, and Abdul Kayondo – who guaranteed the appearance of Moses Tumwine, another accused youth who has since disappeared. Magistrate Byarugaba earlier this week ordered their arrest for neglecting their responsibility to the court.
Kayanja, who testified last October, has denied any homosexual activity, describing the allegations as part of a smear campaign by rival pastors. “This isn’t the first time I’ve faced such attacks,” he said, referencing similar allegations in 2010 and 2013.
The case is scheduled to resume May 23, pending the magistrate’s recovery.
