The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Despite Charge Sheet Evidence, NRM Denies Employing Suspect Who Slapped Police Officer
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has denied employing Mercy Timbitwire Bashisha, who was remanded to Luzira Prison on charges related to a viral video showing her slapping a traffic police officer at the UMA Showgrounds in Kampala.
During the court session, the prosecution presented two separate charge sheets containing offenses against Timbitwire and her co-accused, Bernadine Abangira. In one charge sheet, Timbitwire was listed as an editor for an undisclosed entity, while in another, she was identified by the police officer who brought the charges as the Public Relations Officer at the NRM Secretariat.
Despite this, the NRM, through its Director of the Directorate of Information, Publicity, and Public Relations Emmanuel Dombo denied that Timbitwire is employed by the party. They stated that the reports suggesting otherwise are false and misleading, and intended to tarnish the party’s image.
“We would like to clarify that Ms. Bashisha is neither a PRO nor a staff at the NRM Secretariat. As a matter of fact, she has never been a staff of the Secretariat and is unknown to us. The stories circulating are therefore false, misleading, and intended to cast a bad image of the NRM Party,” the statement read.
The NRM further stated, “We do not condone the reckless acts by Ms. Bashisha, including, inter alia, assaulting a law enforcement officer while on official duty, and we are glad that the law is taking its due course.”
According to the statement, the party’s legal team is following up with the police to establish the motive behind the charges, before filing a formal complaint about what they describe as impersonation.
However, sources Our Reporter spoke to about the charge sheet drafting process indicated that there might be discrepancies. They speculated that either the NRM, the police, or the accused is providing incorrect information, but not the media, as Timbitwire’s particulars were explicitly stated in the charge sheet.
“Who is lying? Is it NRM or the police? The process of arrest requires the accused to make a statement with certain particulars like name, age, occupation, tribe, sex, phone number, and residence,” a source, who preferred anonymity, remarked.
The source further explained that these details of the accused are then transferred to the charge sheet and read by the court while recording the accused’s plea.
“It is high time the woman is subjected to a mental examination to ascertain if she is of sound mind. Otherwise, one cannot be mistaken about their occupation under normal and formal circumstances,” the source commented.
Another source maintained that the police are credible, and their findings should not be doubted.
“Is the police not credible in the course of investigations? Why is the NRM doubting its findings? This is what they have uncovered during their duties,” the source noted.
The source expressed concerns about fairness, referencing a past incident involving a senior NRM figure.
“An NRM Historical Ambassador, Major General Matayo Kyaligonza, a UPDF Major General, slapped a traffic officer a few years ago and got away with it. Why do they target the weak and let the villains go free?” the source asked.
Kyaligonza, who previously served as the NRM Chairperson for Western Uganda for two terms, was criticized for assaulting a female traffic police officer along the Mukono Highway.
Timbitwire denied the charges against her, which included robbery of two mobile phones valued at 800,000 shillings, an EPS Printer Machine valued at 14 million shillings, reckless driving, driving without third-party motor insurance, and assaulting a police officer.
Her co-accused, Abangira, also denied the charges, and both were remanded until November 4, 2024.
****
URN
