(Kampala) – A National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat employee, Mercy Timbitwire, 34, has been remanded to Luzira Prison after appearing in court on multiple charges, including assaulting a uniformed police officer. Timbitwire, a public relations officer at the NRM Secretariat, was arrested after a viral video surfaced showing her allegedly slapping traffic officer Charles Makawa.
Timbitwire appeared before Nakawa Court Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza on Monday, October 21, 2024, where she denied charges of robbery, assault, reckless driving, failure to comply with police directives, and using a motor vehicle without third party insurance. Alongside her was co-accused Benardine Abangira, an administrator at Berger Rite Holdings, who has been charged with being an accessory after the fact for allegedly assisting Timbitwire in evading justice.
The courtroom was filled with a significant presence of uniformed traffic police officers, as well as friends and relatives of the accused. During the proceedings, state attorney Mariam Kruthum, representing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, informed the court that investigations into the incident were still ongoing. She requested an adjournment to allow the police to complete their inquiries.
Magistrate Kakooza granted the adjournment, with the case set to resume on November 4, 2024. If found guilty, Timbitwire faces serious consequences, as the offenses under the Penal Code Act carry maximum sentences ranging from seven to 14 years in prison.
According to the prosecution, the incident occurred on October 18, 2024, at Makerere University Business School, along New Port Bell Road in Kampala. Timbitwire is accused of recklessly driving a white Toyota Land Cruiser with registration number UBM 439T while using a handheld mobile phone. The charges also include her alleged refusal to comply with verbal directives from a police officer on duty.
Further allegations against Timbitwire suggest that she was driving the vehicle without third-party insurance, as required by law, when stopped near UMA showgrounds on Kampala-Jinja Highway in Kampala.
In addition to the traffic offenses, Timbitwire and her co-accused, Abangira, face charges of robbery. The prosecution alleges that the two robbed officer Makawa of two mobile phones worth approximately 800,000 Ugandan shillings, along with an Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) printer belonging to the Uganda Police Force, valued at 14 million shillings.
Abangira is accused of helping Timbitwire avoid punishment despite having prior knowledge of her involvement in the alleged offenses.
The court case has drawn considerable attention, especially with the circulation of the viral video, which has sparked public debate on the treatment of police officers and the conduct of public officials. The focus will be on whether the charges against Timbitwire and Abangira will result in convictions and what impact this case will have on public trust in institutions as the investigation continues.
