Kakwenza to appear in court
The detained novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija will appear before the Civil Division of the High Court, in Kampala on Monday afternoon after close to two weeks in detention.
This is in line with a court order that was released on January 6, 2022, directing that Kakwenza appears in court today.
Last week, Kakwenza’s wife, Eva Basima, filed a petition in High Court stating that he was being detained illegally and demanded that her husband be produced in court dead or alive.
In her application filed through her lawyers Nalukoola, Kakeeto Advocates and Solicitors, and Kiiza and Mugisha Advocates, she also demanded to know why Kakwenza was being held illegally beyond the mandatory 48 hours despite a court order for his unconditional release.
Basima contends that her husband was arrested from their home in Kisaasi by armed men and he has since remained inaccessible to her. Basima adds that she got an opportunity to see Kakwenza on Monday when plain-clothed men and armed SFC soldiers drove him to their upcountry home in Iganga district and conducted a search.
Basima also sued the SFC Commander Brigadier General Peter Candia, Director of Criminal Investigations Directorate Grace Akullo, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola, and the Attorney General.
Basima claims when she saw Kakwenza, he looked tortured, weak and was limping, and wearing a blood-stained vest and underwear.
“The applicant/Kakwenza revealed to me that he is being detained at Special Forces Command in Entebbe. The applicant remains under incommunicado and illegal detention.”
On Tuesday, the Makindye Grade One Magistrate Irene Nambatya issued an order directing the government to unconditionally release Kakwenza on grounds that he was in detention for more than the mandatory 48 hours, hence a violation to his constitutional right to liberty and fair hearing. However,despite the court order, the novelist remains in detention at an unknown destination.
Kakwenza to appear in court
Kakwenza was arrested on December 28th 2021 from his home in Kisaasi, Nakawa Division after plain clothed officers armed with guns, driving in UBE 894M and UBH 163U broke into his home. He was taken into detention at the Crime Intelligence facility in Bukoto until Monday last week when he was escorted by security operatives to conduct a search at his home in Iganga.
The Spokesperson for the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) Charles Twine has since revealed that Kawenza was arrested for offensive communication under the Computer Misuse Act.
Twine says Kakwenza used his twitter handle to hurl insults at the President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and his son, the commander Land forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba between December 23, 2021 and December 26, 2021.
His wife Basima says she has since failed to see Kawenza or know of his whereabouts.
