SEMBABULE.
A Journalist who was arrested over allegations of maligning one of the contenders in the race to replace the outgoing West Buganda Diocese Bishop Henry Katumba Tamale has been charged with common nuisance.
Jonan Bangirana Jjumba , a freelance journo appeared before Grade One magistrate in Sembabule District Raymond Jjagwe on Wednesday .
He denied the charge and asked for bail ,but the presiding magistrate rejected his request despite presenting six substantial sureties .These included among others; Fredrick Miiro ,a teacher at St. Clement P/S Ntuusi , Joseph Ntulume , a teacher and head of laity in Ntuusi Parish Sembabule District ,Julius Ssebugwawo, a councilor representing Lwemiyaga County at Sembabule District council and the suspect’s his eldest son Benjamin Mugabe.
The prosecution however told the court that investigations into the matter were incomplete and asked for adjournment.
Mr Jjagwe adjourned the matter to February 26 when court is expected to hear Jjumba’s bail application .He remanded him to Sembabule Prison until then .
Jjumba’s son Mugabe , said he was surprised by the charge leveled against his father, adding that ever since he was arrested he has been accused of defamation .
“My father was arrested and kept in police cells for nearly a week –which was in violation of the Constitution. Those who caused his arrest accused him defaming a senior priest who wants to become Bishop of West Buganda , but in court we saw him being charged with common nuisance-a low-order offense where a suspect can simply be cautioned , but surprisingly he has been remanded .” he added.
Mr Farish Magembe , the president of Masaka Sub Region under their umbrella association Greater Masaka Journalists Association ( GREMAJA) , said they are liaising with Human Rights Network for Journalist-Uganda (HRNJ-U ) to see that Jjumba secures bail before February 26.
“His son has told me he[Jjumba] is suffering from a serious illnesses which medics in prison may not ably handle ,our lawyers with the help of the family are processing the necessarily documents to see that he gets bail ,” he said
The acrimonious arrest and subsequent trial of Jjumba is connected to a January ,20 2025 purportedly written by a woman known as Naume Namakula, a resident of Lwemiyaga in Sembabule District who claims that she had a child with Rev Canon Patrick Ssimbwa , the archdeacon of Sembabule Archdeaconry ,one of the two candidates in the race for the next West Buganda Diocese bishop. The said child reportedly died in 2016 due to Rev Canon Ssimbwa’s neglect.
However, preliminary police investigations indicated that Namakula, denied authoring the now controversial letter and does not know Rev Canon Ssimbwa being talked about. She also disowned the telephone number on the letter, which is registered in the name of John Mugume.
Masaka Regional Criminal Investigations boss ,Mr Bosco Gume has since poked holes in the preliminary investigations report and ordered his juniors to conduct further investigations with a view of coming up with a compressive report on the matter.
The House of Bishops is expected to convene this Sunday to scrutinize names of two shortlisted candidates including Rev Canon Patrick Ssimbwa , and Rev Canon Gaster Nsereko, the archdeacon of Kakoma Archdeaconry in Rakai District and one them may become the 7th bishop of West Buganda Diocese . However, due to ongoing investigations by police anxiety has already griped Christians supporting Rev Canon Ssimbwa’s candidature that he could be disqualified from the House of Bishops orders for fresh nominations .The West Buganda Diocesan Nominations Committee had in January shortlisted at least eight candidates from which they selected the two [Rev Canon Patrick Ssimbwa and Rev Gaster Nsereko]. Others are ; Rev Canon Moses Kayimba, the diocesan secretary, Rev Samuel Matovu Mbogo, the head teacher of Sembabule Church of Uganda Secondary School, and Rev Can Fred Matovu, the diocesan treasurer, among others.
To become a bishop, a candidate must meet specific credentials, including having unrivaled integrity, being at least 45 years old, an ordained priest with 10 years of pastoral experience, and holding a bachelor’s degree in Theology or Divinity.
The issue of choosing Bishop Tamale’s successor has been contentious right from the start of the nomination process with some Christians accusing the prelate of supporting one of the contenders- an allegation the man of God has repeatedly denied . Some Christians on the other hand are also pushing to have a native Bishop , and if this sails through ,he will be the first since the diocese was carved out of Namirembe Diocese in 1960.Now all eyes are on the House of Bishops to make its final decision on the matter .