The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Reverend Canon Kezekiah Kalule, the former Archdeacon of Luteete Archdeaconry in Luwero Diocese has been granted bail ahead of the judgment in the case where he is accused of aggravated defilement.
Rev. Kalule 67 on Thursday appeared before Luwero High Court Judge Henrietta Wolayo on allegations of defiling and impregnating a 16-year-old girl who was under his custody from 2007 to 2018.
The victim was a pupil at Luteete Primary School and has since given birth to a baby girl. She was under the sponsorship of Compassion International, a non-government organization under the Church of Uganda, and was placed under reverend stewardship by her grandmother.
Luwero Resident Chief State Attorney, Peace Bashabe submitted her final written submission in the case before Justice Wolayo.
Earlier on during the hearing, the prosecution presented four witnesses in court including the victim that pinned Kalule of defiling her several times since 2014.
The victim told the judge that she reported Rev. Kalule to Compassion International, but little was done.
The wife of Rev. Kalule a witness who also recorded a statement at Luwero Central Police Station pinning his husband for defiling the child did not turn up in court to testify.
Rev. Kalule denied the offense and declined to file a defense but instead presented two of his children to testify on his behalf.
The DNA was also conducted at the request of Reverend Kalule’s lawyer Francis Karoro and results were submitted to the court indicating that he was not the father to the child. This was after reports that the same girl had another sexual relationship with a boda boda rider within the community.
Justice Wolayo said that since the witnesses testified at the time when the case was before Justice Damalie Lwanga, the final submissions by the State Attorney and DNA report will be submitted to her to write the judgment.
She ordered the release of Rev. Kalule on bail due to ill health and advanced age.
She also ordered him to report to the court every first week of two months starting May this year until judgment will be delivered in the case.
Justice Wolayo adjourned the case to 13th March this year and ordered the court assessor Winfred Nambi to present her opinion on the case before judgment is made.
Reverend Kalule was arrested in 2018 and presented to the court before he secured court bail.
However, his bail was canceled last week by Justice Wolayo when he turned up for a hearing of the case. His lawyer Karoro applied for an extension of bail.
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