The trial of eight people accused of fabricating evidence in a long-running case involving Pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral took a dramatic twist on Thursday when one of the accused, Regan Ssentongo, gave testimony that left the courtroom in laughter.
Ssentongo, who is jointly charged with Sserugo, Labib Khalifa, Alex Wakamala, and Martin Kagolo, appeared to follow the same line of defence as his co-accused. The group faces charges of fabricating evidence, giving false information to police, and criminal trespass at the Rubaga-based church.
The case stems from a series of incidents in which several young men allegedly conspired to tarnish Pastor Kayanja’s name through a well-coordinated plot involving false accusations.
In his testimony, Ssentongo claimed that he joined Pastor Kayanja’s security team in 2017 at the age of 13 and was later sent for security training at the Police Training School in Masindi when he was 14.
His statement raised eyebrows, with observers questioning whether the Uganda Police could have legally trained a minor. However, documents he allegedly signed before the training, complete with his fingerprints, indicate that he was 19 years old at the time.
Yet the day’s most dramatic moment came when Ssentongo attempted to refer to photos on his phone as part of his testimony. He told court that he wanted to show a photo of himself holding security gadgets, which he claimed to have taken personally using his Samsung phone.
However, State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya immediately objected, arguing that neither Ssentongo nor the phone had been verified by an expert.
“I pray that the defense refrains from relaying evidence in the form of photos, videos, or audio from the witness’s phone because neither the items nor the witness is an expert,” Muwaganya told court.
“To determine the authenticity of any electronic device evidence is the preserve of a forensic expert. It has not been established in evidence so far that the witness is such an expert. He has not even demonstrated it by way of presentation of the gadget from which he purportedly extracted it.”
Muwaganya’s objection drew murmurs in court when it was pointed out that Ssentongo appeared in the same photo he claimed to have taken himself. The courtroom burst into laughter, forcing Magistrate Adam Byarugaba to call for order.
As the lawyers for both sides debated the admissibility of the evidence, Ssentongo asked to be excused for a “short call,” a common tactic used by witnesses under pressure. Defence lawyer Humphrey Tumwesigye followed him outside, and the break lasted about six minutes.
After the brief recess, Magistrate Byarugaba granted the state attorney’s request for adjournment, setting the next hearing for November 7, 2025.
