The trial of nine youths accused of defaming Pastor Robert Kayanja at Mwanga II Magistrates Court continued with Labeeb Khalifa, a 24-year-old defendant, alleging that Kayanja invited him to Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral in 2017 and enticed him into acts of sodomy.
In an unsworn testimony, Khalifa claimed he was promised sums of up to Shs 5 million and, on one occasion in 2018, $2,000 following an encounter involving a white visitor from the United States.
Khalifa claimed he initially resisted but later complied due to the financial incentives. He expressed feelings of disrespect, stating he felt treated as a commodity by Kayanja.
“There is nothing which made me lose respect for the pastor like when I saw him trying to sodomised me. I shouted ‘pastor you want to sodomise me’ and then asked him, ‘sir why do you treat me as a commodity?'”
The nine accused—Regan Ssentongo, Peter Serugo, Khalifa Labeeb, Israel Waiswa, Jamil Mwandha, Alex Wakamala, Aggrey Kinene, Martins Kagolo, and Moses Tumwine (who remains at large)—face charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, conspiracy to commit a felony, criminal trespass, and giving false information to the police.
The prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya, alleges that on September 17, 2021, the defendants trespassed at Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral with the intent to harass Kayanja and falsely reported to Detective Cotilda Nandutu at Kawempe Police Station that Kayanja had sodomized them, knowing the claims were untrue.
Medical examinations from Mulago National Referral Hospital, presented by the prosecution, found no evidence to support the sodomy allegations, contradicting the defendants’ claims.
A notable aspect of the trial is the defendants’ refusal to testify under oath, which prevents the prosecution from cross-examining them. This decision has drawn scrutiny, as it limits the prosecution’s ability to challenge their testimonies directly.
Additionally, Magistrate Adams Byarugaba imposed a ban on audio and video recordings of the proceedings on April 5, 2024, due to concerns over manipulated social media content, a ruling upheld by High Court Justice David Matovu on July 15, 2025.
Media coverage is restricted to written reporting, with audio and video permitted only during the magistrate’s rulings.
The trial has faced multiple delays, with the court issuing a final warning to six of the defendants on July 9, 2025, to present their defense promptly or risk self-representation.
Moses Tumwine’s absence has led to arrest warrants for his sureties—Tracy Namugga, Patrick Ayebare, and Abdul Kayondo—issued on May 5, 2025, for failing to produce him in court.
The case is set to resume on August 28, 2025, for further defense witness testimonies.
Pastor Kayanja, testifying in October 2024, denied all allegations, describing them as part of a conspiracy linked to his rival, Pastor Ssenyonga, and referencing similar dismissed accusations against him in 2010 and 2013
