DISTURBING MUSEVENI & SON’S PEACE! Fearless Ugandan Writer Sent to Prison over Tweets

A day after the High Court in Kampala ordered the production of novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija dead or alive on January 12 at 10am, another court has remanded the writer after the state slapped charges of disturbing the peace of President Yoweri Museveni and his son Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

On January 10, High Court in Kampala ordered security agencies and the Attorney General to present Rukirabashaija in court dead or alive. (See report here).

But on January 11, Buganda Road Court charged The Greedy Barbarian writer with disturbing the peace of the president and his son.

The resident state attorney signed the charge sheet on January 03 while the magistrate signed on January 11.

Kakwenza, aged 33, a Muhororo by tribe, novelist by profession and resident of Kisaasi Central in Nakawa Division, Kampala, was charged with two counts of offensive communication contrary to section 25 of the Computer Misuse Act 2011.

According to prosecution, on December 24, 2021, while in Kampala District, Kakwenza willfully and repeatedly used his Twitter handle Kakwenza Rukira (@kakwenzarukira) to disturb the peace of His Excellency the President of Uganda, Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, with no purpose of legitimate Communication.

Regarding the second count, the prosecution alleges that between December 26 and 28, 2021, while in Kampala District, Kakwenza willfully and repeatedly used his Twitter handle Kakwenza Rukira (@kakwenzarukira) to disturb the peace of Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, with no purpose of legitimate Communication.

Court has remanded Rukirabashaija to Kitalya Government Prison.

He will be brought to court on January 21, 2022.