Court Exposes Cooked Defence by Convict Linked to Ssenyonga in Kayanja Case
KAMPALA – The once well-orchestrated plot to frame Rubaga Miracle Centre Cathedral’s Pastor Robert Kayanja has continued to unravel, exposing inconsistencies and falsehoods among the key witnesses.
In a case that has rekindled memories of political folly captured by the old European saying “They learnt nothing and forgot nothing,” the accused youth appear to be repeating the same blunders that have long characterized similar fabrications.
The court proceedings, held before Magistrate Adam Byarugaba, took an unexpected turn when one of the witnesses, Reagan Ssentongo, attempted to bolster his testimony with photographs allegedly taken from his mobile phone. Ssentongo, currently in custody, had claimed he joined Pastor Kayanja’s security team in 2017 at the age of 13 and later received police training in Masindi at 14 years old.
However, documents presented before court contradicted his claims, showing that he was 19 years old at the time of the said training — casting serious doubt on the credibility of his narrative.
The session turned dramatic when State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya strongly objected to the defense’s attempt to introduce photographic evidence from Ssentongo’s phone.
“I pray that the defense refrains from relaying evidence in the form of photos, videos, or audio from the witness’s phone because neither the items nor the witness is an expert,” Muwaganya submitted. “To determine the authenticity of any electronic device evidence is the preserve of a forensic expert. The witness has not demonstrated such expertise, nor has he produced the original device.”
His objection was prompted by Ssentongo’s attempt to introduce a photo of himself allegedly holding security gadgets — a move that drew laughter from the courtroom when it became apparent he was the one posing in the very image he claimed to have taken.
As the back-and-forth between the State and defense continued, Ssentongo abruptly requested to be excused for a “short call” — a common courtroom tactic often used to escape intense questioning. Defense lawyer Humphrey Tumwesigye accompanied him, and what was meant to be a brief break stretched to six minutes.
Magistrate Byarugaba later adjourned the hearing to November 7, 2025, granting the State Attorney leave to prepare further submissions.
The case is part of a larger web of accusations involving Pastor Jackson Ssenyonga of Christian Life Church, Bwaise, who is alleged to have orchestrated the campaign to malign Pastor Kayanja through fabricated testimonies. The accused — Ssentongo, Sserugo, Labib Khalifa, Alex Wakamala, and Martin Kagolo — face charges of fabricating evidence, giving false information to the police, and criminal trespass at Rubaga Miracle Centre.
In a related twist, records show that Ssentongo and co-accused Khalifa Labib were previously convicted in 2022 for aggravated robbery and assault, receiving six-year jail sentences. The pair, both former employees at Pastor Kayanja’s Kiryandongo farm, were found guilty of attacking a worker, Patrick Turyatemba, and spraying him with pepper during a violent robbery on April 25, 2020.
The conviction was handed down by Chief Magistrate Her Worship Lucy Kabahuma, who credited the one year they had spent on remand toward their sentence. The two are currently seeking bail before Masindi High Court Judge Issa Sserunkuuma.
As the courtroom drama unfolds, it appears the plot to discredit one of Uganda’s most prominent pastors is collapsing under the weight of its own contradictions — a stark reminder that lies, however well-planned, rarely survive the test of truth.