Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Prominent Kampala pastor Robert Kayanja of Rubaga Miracle Center Cathedral testified on Monday at the Mwanga II Court against nine former members of the “Kiface” gang, accusing them of trespassing on church property and making false claims that he had sodomized them.
In his testimony, Pastor Kayanja recounted meeting the group during his 2017 revival event, “77 DOGs,” where they expressed a desire to change their lives. The church welcomed the group and supported them in identifying negative influences in their lives.
Over time, the individuals showed interest in joining the church’s security team. They were subsequently recruited and trained at the Kabalye training school, after which they were assigned security duties at both the church and Kayanja’s Kiryandongo farm on a rotational basis.
Kayanja explained that the arrangement provided the group with accommodation and a stipend. The remaining portion of their salaries was saved for them, to be paid out in full once they reached adulthood and could manage their finances.
However, the pastor told the court that reports began to surface of the group engaging in theft, assault, robbery, and neglecting their duties at the farm. The suspects, expressing dissatisfaction with their work, demanded immediate payment of their full wages.
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In response, Kayanja referred the matter to the church’s finance department, where a calculation of each individual’s earnings was agreed upon for installment-based payments. Despite this, on September 17, 2021, during a nationwide lockdown, the group allegedly forced their way into the church premises, assaulted people at the gate, and shouted obscenities while recording themselves. They falsely accused Kayanja and others of sodomizing them and demanded payment for the alleged act.
The pastor described the incident as deeply distressing, noting that the videos were intended to go viral, causing him significant emotional harm. Having been a pastor for over 30 years, Kayanja said he was outraged by the accusations, especially given his previous experience with false allegations of sodomy in 2010.
In that earlier case, fellow pastors Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, Martin Ssempa, and two others were convicted and sentenced to community service for making similar unfounded claims.
The court hearing was still ongoing at the time of the report.
