There was drama in Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate court this afternoon when Dr. Stella Nyanzi appeared for the formal charges to be read for her. The Buganda Road Grade One magistrate, Ester Nahilya charged Nyanzi with offensive communication and cyber harassment.
Drama ensued as Dr. Nyanzi who was brought to court in a saloon police car through the rare exit gate demanded that the Court clerk reads the charges in her mother tongue-Luganda and repeatedly kept on reminding him of mentioning the exact words used to refer to specific body parts in her native tongue.
Nyanzi is charged with 2 counts; cyber harassment and offensive communication in which the prosecution says she had an intention of disturbing the peace of President M7 and posted obscene messages on her official face book page with suggestions or proposals among others that “she wished His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s late mother Esteri Kokundeka’s cursed Vaginal Canal had burnt up on his unborn fetus.”
Prosecution states that Nyanzi committed the offenses on 16th September 2018 through an ironic birthday message she dedicated to the president.
Nyanzi was however not allowed to plead to the charges because grade one magistrate, Esther Nahilya had no powers to entertain her charges.
Magistrate Nahilya then remanded Nyanzi to Luzira prison until Friday -this week when she will be brought back before trial magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu for purposes of taking plea.
Dr. Nyanzi was arrested on Friday Last week from Wandegeya police station where she had gone to seek permission and security to organise a peaceful demonstration against Makerere University’s refusal to re-instate her as a researcher following a 2 year suspension due to alleged misconduct .
