Humanist

Telling stories, I find, facilitates effective explanation. So I share my story, in order to exemplify the plight of justice seekers in my country, to the extent, if I could, I would bring back a version of T-Rex, programmed to enforce dispensation of criminal justice.

As you read my story, I invite you to take note of that which in your view supports my thesis that redefining criminal justice in our country of necessity demands dismantling the major determinants of widespread criminal injustice:

• Maladministration of the Uganda Police Force
• The unholy alliance between Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP)
• Judicial officers with questionable integrity and legal incompetence

As you read my story, I invite you to contextualize that this was done to me, ajakait, an empowered woman. Imagine then, what they are likely doing to those less advantaged. And therefore, the significant need for legal aid and as well as the urgent need to address the root causes of the problem

My Story

In 2021, I reported to Komolo Police Station, our village post, the malicious damage of my orchard, the breaking and entering into my kitchen/store house, and the theft of my building materials.

The Komolo Police Officer in Charge Criminal Investigations Directorate (OC/CID) Olupot was the Investigating Officer (IO). By all accounts, he did a good job. Collected good evidence – witness and expert statements, including assessment reports.

The criminal, a presumed male relative, who often in a braggadocios manner and while name-dropping, misrepresents himself as being senior counsel. I have my doubts the criminal even has a valid legal practicing certificate current. Or that he is a close buddy of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otaffire, as he purports to be.

He is simply a conman. A mufere. That the legal fraternity has not yet called him out and disassociated itself with him is part of why criminal injustice widely prevails in our country. Okay back to my story.

The criminal, a narcissistic psychopath of the greedy barbarian variety, at first, arrogantly refused to honour police summons to record a statement. Preferring instead to harass and intimidate the IO, with such silly threats, of the calibre of “do you know who I am?”

The IO saw through the criminal and recognized him for who he truly is. One with deficient manhood, at least by Iteso standards. Iteso is the fourth largest first nation of Uganda, to which the IO and I belong.

The IO held his ground and stood by his duty to bring the criminal to book. The criminal slithered to the top and sought out the Pallisa D/CID, the boss, Detective Assistant Superintendent of Police Nakyandiba, who seemingly, accepted to connive with the criminal to make the case go away.

Long story short, Detective Nakyandiba found herself facing an investigation into her misconduct by the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU), after I lodged a complaint against her (PSU/GEF/390/2021). PSU, indeed, found:

“It was not proper for Detective Nakyandba, to push me and the criminal to have the matter amicably settled. PSU recommended that Detective Nakyandiba be cautioned to desist from settling criminal matters at Police and should be directed to have the case file (Pallisa CRB 518/2021) forwarded to the Pallisa Resident State Attorney (RSA).”

I have no doubt that I am not the only victim of Detective Nakyandiba’s unprofessional conduct.

What is defined in the PSU report as “desist from settling criminal matters at Police” should have actually been better stated as desist from accosting and harassing victims of crime.

Detective Nakyandiba summoned me into her office, and in the presence of two male police officers, including the IO, she verbally accosted me and brought me to tears.

Woman on woman gender-based violence as she frolicked for the affirmation and attention of the criminal, the narcissistic psychopath with a deficient manhood.

Anyway, imagine my shock when the Pallisa RSA of 2021 did not categorize my complaint as a criminal matter and she declined to sanction my case file. Instead, she directed that I seek justice via a civil suit.

How is it that PSU determined the matters – malicious damage of property, breaking and entering, theft – as criminal in nature and the Pallisa RSA of 2021 determined different?  I remain dumfounded.

Rumors abound, that when Detective Nakyandiba presented the case file to Pallisa RSA of 2021, significant evidence was left out of the file. But even then, would it not be the duty of the RSA to have queried the missing evidence?

I am more inclined to believe seeming connivance with the criminal, Detective Nakyandiba and Pallisa RSA of 2021 to make the case go away.

I did register a complaint with the ODPP Regional Office in Mbale of my dissatisfaction with Pallisa RSA of 2021.

After several follow-ups and lodging a complaint with ODPP Kampala office, to date, nearly four years later, I have no formal response from ODPP with regards to how it handled my complaint.

Last month, however, ODPP Kampala informed me that the 3-months plus investigation into my complaint conducted at the Kampala level was completed. It advised me to follow up with its Mbale Regional office. which in turn referred me to Pallisa RSA of 2025; who in turn referred me to Pallisa Central Police Station (CPS).

It has been over a month since, and I have made at least five inquiries with Pallisa CPS (Registry and the D/CID). I have no confirmation the file is at CPS and, therefore, when I will be given access and the feedback from ODPP.

Concurrently, in 2022, I retained legal counsel, Allan Ogoi and his team at the award winning Okalang Law Chambers. On my behalf, they filed ongoing Civil Suit 18 of 2022 at High Court holden in Mbale.

I plead that Court awards me compensation arising from the destruction of my orchard of oranges and mangoes. That it orders the criminal, the narcissistic psychopath with a deficient manhood, to pay me special damages; and in addition general damages, punitive damages and costs of the suit.

At the same time, my ace legal team, filed Miscellaneous Application 53 of 2022 arising from Civil Suit 18 of 2022, in which I sought Court protective orders – a temporary injunction restraining the criminal from threatening me, entering my orchard, and interfering with my quiet possession of my property, pending hearing and determination of the main suit.

Long story short, the ‘learned Deputy Registrar’ at High Court in Mbale, at the time His Worship (HW) Mawanda, gave us a jaw dropper, when he declined my application for a temporary injunction and also went ahead to dismiss Civil Suit 18 of 2022, without hearing it.

Shortly after, in 2023, the Chief Justice promoted HW Mawanda. He now holds the position of Judiciary Public Relations Officer. He is the face of the Judiciary.

My legal team appealed, filing Miscellaneous Application 340 of 2022, arising from Application 53 of 2022, arising from Civil Suit 18 of 2022. In its ruling on appeal, Court used choice words such as “appalling to say the least, irregular, improper” to characterize the conduct, decisions and ruling of HW Mawanda.

On appeal, Court set aside the ruling of HW Mawanda in its entirety, therefore reinstating Civil Suit 18 of 2022; and at the same time Court gave me Court ordered protection – via a temporary restraining order against the criminal, the narcissistic psychopath with deficient manhood.

However, buoyed by the fake legitimacy that the HW Mawanda gave to the criminal, he was able to con senior police officers to aide him in disobedience of Court orders.

The Regional Police Commander (RPC) Bukedi North, Mwanga, now since recalled to Police Headquarters; the Pallisa District Police Commander (DPC), Kakiryo; the Pallisa D/CID Wamaungo; the latter two also no longer in Pallisa; and others, seemingly actively facilitated the criminal in contempt of Court.

The senior police officers refused to enforce Court orders and to date the criminal continues threatening me, further damaging my orchard, and denying me quiet possession of my property.

Yes, I did lodge a complaint at PSU against RPC Mwanga, DPC Kakiryo and co. A year later the Directorate of Human Rights and Legal of the Office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has seemingly refused to release to me the PSU police report on the PSU/GEF/47/2024 investigation into my complaint.

My story is not unique, sadly. President Museveni is on record decrying the Uganda Police Force being infiltrated by kawukumi (weevils). At the time he did so, the President, reportedly “castigated the Police Force for perpetuating crime,” and describing such police officers as weevils.

We can extrapolate and apply the President’s characterization to the entire justice, law and order sector as being infiltrated by weevils.

When a bag of beans is infested by weevils, the most practical and effective way is to take the beans out of the bag, spread them out under the sun, in broad day light – solarize the weevils. Once subjected to daylight and the heat of sun rays the weevils exit.

Time is now to solarize, yanika, oloik, rid our justice, law and order sector of actors that like weevils are destroying it from the inside out.

Sadly and understandably, not many in Uganda are brave enough to call the weevils out, for fear of retaliation. The unchecked power that the weevils have is immense.

This is the reason why if I were able to bring back a dinosaur, it would be Tyrannosaurus Rex (T-Rex), so it can crush and dismantled our country’s current criminal justice system which instead perpetuates gross injustices.

I first told a version of this story while delivering the keynote address at the “Uganda Law Society (ULS) Pro Bono Week High-Level Stakeholder Engagement on Redefining Uganda’s Criminal Justice System,” that was held on Friday, 25th July 2025, at the ULS House, John Babiiha Avenue, Kampala