Kakwenza raised 40 m for his sureties
It’s been less than 24 hours since embattled novelist Kakwenza Rukiribashaija started fundraising for 40 m shillings to rescue his four sureties from arrest and he has raised all the money.
Kakwenza is battling a court case of offensive communication in which the State accuses him of using his social media platforms to hurl insults at the person of the president Yoweri Museveni and the first son Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
On Monday, Buganda road court Chief Magistrate Dr Douglas Singiza issued an arrest warrant for four of his sureties after he absconded from appearing twice. Dr Singiza ordered that the four sureties should be arrested and forced to pay the 10 million Shillings that each of them committed in the event that Kakwenza skips bail.
The sureties are; lawyer Julius Galisonga, the Secretary-General of the National Unity Platform Party David Lewis Rubongoya, Annah Ashaba, a teacher at Kololo Secondary School and an Activist Job Kiija.
On March 23, 2022, when Kakwenza was expected to appear before the court, State Attorney Joan Keko asked for a warrant of arrest against him and notified his sureties to explain why they shouldn’t be arrested.
Kakwenza took to his Twitter handle to fundraise money via his MTN number 0785367367 saying that he fled the country for his life but he is financially broke like a mouse at the moment.
Kakwenza asked on behalf of the sureties for 5,000 people to each contribute 8,000 Shillings, to enable him to raise 40 million Shillings for the four sureties.
“My friends who stood surety for me owe court 40m because I fled the country for my life. It’s now incumbent on me now to raise the money and pay court–in respect of summons–but I’m broke as a mouse. I’m looking for 5,000 people who can manage to send UGX8,000 to MTN +256785367367 registered as Kakwenza Rukirabashaija,” Kakwenza posted on social media.
Kakwenza raised 40 m for his sureties
In less than seven hours, Kakwenza had posted on his Twitter handle that the fundraising had succeeded.
When asked how he has been able to raise the funds, Kakwenza said he managed to get the monies both through Mobile money and bank transactions.
“It is true. I got it through Mobile money in Uganda and bank transactions,” Kakwenza said
The case had earlier been pushed to May 9th 2022 for sureties to return and fulfill their obligations after which their respective warrants of arrest can get canceled.
Kakwenza was, on January 25, granted a cash bail of 500,000 Shillings by the Buganda Road Court, after nearly a month under detention.
He escaped from Uganda via the Rwanda Border to Germany shortly after he was granted bail. Kakwenza paraded a body marked with stripes from canes and alluded to the arrest of those involved directly and indirectly in his plight.
Kakwenza also attacked the presiding Magistrate Singiza claiming he acted unlawful by denying him his passport and access to treatment.
