Former Deputy RCC Burora remanded to Luzira over hate speech

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has remanded to Luzira prison the social media critic and former Rubaga Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Herbert Anderson Burora. He was charged with hate speech and malicious information under the Computer Misuse Act.

Burora was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before the Chief Magistrate, Ronald Kayizzi, who read the two charges. Burora denied the charges read in in a fully packed courtroom.

A person charged with that offense faces a fine not exceeding seven hundred and fifty currency points or imprisonment not exceeding seven years, or both.

The Court heard that between March and June 2024 in the areas of Kampala District or thereabout while using a computer via X handle “Harder HB”, Burora shared information that was likely to ridicule, degrade or demean and promote hostility against the Speaker of Parliament Annet Anita Among.

On the second count, the prosecution stated that Burora shared malicious information relating to Anita Among around the same time and areas.

The prosecution led by State Attorneys Richard Birivumbuka, Joan Keko, and Ivan Kyazze informed the Court that investigations into the matter were still ongoing.

A team of seven lawyers representing Burora asked the Court to dismiss the charges against their client because the charge sheet was defective. The lawyers, Phillip Munaabi, David Kamukama, and Benjamin Katana argued that the charge sheet did not show what he said to constitute hate speech, and nothing malicious was indicated.

The Defence team cited the case of Dr. Stella Nyanzi case in which the Prosecutors indicated that she used buttocks and other vulgar words, which is not the case with Buroroa’s charge sheet.

Phillip Munaabi asked the Court to free Anderson until such a time when a proper charge sheet will be drafted by the Prosecution.

But, the Prosecution’s Richard Birivumbuka asked the Court to give them an adjournment to reply to the submissions raised by Anderson’s lawyers.

However, Burora’s lawyers insisted that if the Prosecutors were not legally prepared,  their client should have been released pending their readiness.

Anderson’s lawyers further put up a spirited fight saying that if Prosecutor Birivumbuka is busy next week, his colleague Ivan Kyazze who is ever at Buganda Road Court should take charge and handle the matter instead of remanding him for so long.

However in his ruling, the Chief Magistrate Kayizzi said the issues of legality of the charge sheet will have to first be resolved before the matter can  proceed.

He decided to remand Anderson until July 9th 2024.

Trouble for Burora who had served as a Deputy RCC for more than five years in both Nakawa Division and Rubaga combined started around March 2024 when he started posting information condemning alleged corruption in Parliament especially perpetrated by the Speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among.

He was accordingly suspended from the office in a March 14th, 2024 letter by Hajji Yunus Kakande to pave the way for investigations, and directed to hand over to the Deputy RCC for Kampala Central.

The letter indicated that Burora had been summoned for a meeting where he was faulted for having violated official advice, but he continued to issue statements on social media which was contrary to Uganda Public Service Standing Orders(2021).

However, after being suspended for 28 days, Burora chose to resign on March 18th, 2024 saying he wanted to protect his conscience.

“Today, I handed over The Office of the Deputy Resident City Commissioner in Lubaga Division. 5years and 5month of my Service are worth bowing out Honorably. It’s not about the office/Job as Madam Anita thought, It’s about the Service. I had all the options to choose the Job or to remain true to my conscience. I chose the latter,” said Burora on X formerly known as Twitter.

He added that, “In my tour of duty, there are those that I didn’t satisfy for one reason or the other, but majorly, I served the way I was supposed to do. I may not be able to measure my legacy, as a representative of the President, but I’m sure there is no single day that I didn’t represent him to the best of my knowledge.”

Burora is not the first person to be sent to Luzira Prison for hate speech against Speaker Annet Anita Among.

A few months ago, a Tiktoker Ibrahim Musana commonly known as Pressure 24/7 was remanded for about two months for promoting hate speech against Anita Among, President Museveni and Kabaka of Buganda before he secured his freedom.

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URN