COURT ORDERS FOR ARREST OF GEN KYALIGONZA

Maj. Gen. Kyalingonza is alleged to have assaulted Ms Esther Namaganda on 24th February in Seeta, Mukono District. The Ugandan Ambassador to Burundi Rt. Maj. Gen Matayo Kyaligonza was needed by the Mukono Chief Magistrate’s Court last month April 10 to answer alleged charges of assaulting and causing bodily harm to a female traffic officer Sgt Esther Namaganda.  However, He skipped court on April 10, forcing the court to extend his summons to April 29. Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza has for the second time failed to honour court summons to answer charges of assaulting a police officer. His lawyers, Mr Caleb Alaka, Mr Evans Ochieng and Mr David Balondemu, on Monday, told Mukono Chief Magistrate’s Court presided over by Juliet Hatanga that since the accused are facing disciplinary proceedings under the UPDF Act, then the magistrate’s court should end the case against them. “Your worship, on April 16, 2019, the state attorney for UPDF instituted proceedings against the accused persons in the Court Martial on the same facts similar to those before you. Since they can be convicted and sentenced by both courts, we pray that this court terminates these proceedings because they are charged in Court Martial. That’s why all of them have not appeared in this court,” Mr Alaka said. Nevertheless, senior State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya insisted that court orders for the suspects’ arrest and dismissed the defence lawyers’ claims for their clients’ absence. He also told the court that Gen Kyaligonza’s name was not on the charge sheet for the General Court Martial case because he is a retired army officer. He alleged that failure to respond to the criminal summons is a sign of disrespect to the court which requires a warrant of arrest.