During an intense cross-examination before Mwanga II Chief Magistrate Adams Byarugaba, Senior State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya confronted Ssentongo with a series of WhatsApp messages he exchanged with Pastor Kayanja in 2021. However, despite Ssentongo repeatedly maintaining that the money he demanded was unpaid salary for working as a homosexual agent (recruiting young boys into Kayanja’s homosexual circle), the prosecutor did not question him on the truthfulness of those allegations or seek to dismantle them.
Instead, Muwaganya concentrated on portraying Ssentongo as someone who persistently begged Kayanja for money.
The prosecution referred the accused to page 35 of the evidence book which was compiled by police forensic expert Enock Kaneene, where Ssentongo admitted sending messages asking Kayanja to pay him. In one of Kayanja’s replies, the pastor told him he was trying to raise his money and had managed to get UGX 1 million.
In the same message, Kayanja reminded Ssentongo that he had always treated him well, looked after him, given him work and even paid for his medical treatment.
Ssentongo did not dispute sending the messages but insisted they actually supported his defence.
He told court the money he demanded was his outstanding salary for recruiting boys whom he allegedly delivered to Kayanja and he sodomized them. He maintained that he was owed a total of UGX 4 million.
The prosecution further referred him to another message dated May 9, 2021, where Ssentongo wrote in English, saying “Morning Sir, I’m out of money. Help me on my salary and send me something. I’m really out of money and have nothing to eat for breakfast.”
Asked why he sent that message, Ssentongo responded that he was asking to be paid for recruiting boys, as he had, in his earlier testimonies, told court that Kayanja had assigned him to recruit young boys, including students from Bunyoro Sub-region into homosexuality.
He also explained another message dated May 19, 2021, insisting once again that he had been working as a homosexual agent and that his role was to bring boys to Kayanja’s farm, some of whom later traveled to Kampala where the pastor allegedly sodomized them.
Throughout the lengthy cross-examination, Muwaganya did not ask Ssentongo whether those claims were true or false. Instead, he continued leading him through different messages exchanged between him and Kayanja.
Ssentongo also identified several of his co-accused, including Collins Kisakye, Sam Magomu, Adrian Ssebale, Simon Tumukunde and Joel Birungi, saying they underwent the same police training at Kabarye Police Training School, and were involved in sodomy with Kayanja together.
Court also heard another message dated June 14, 2021, in which Ssentongo informed Kayanja that the boys were asking about the money he had promised them.
When Muwaganya suggested no payments had been made between May 15 and June 14, Ssentongo rejected that assertion, insisting money was occasionally sent because “the boys were bleeding,” after allegedly being repeatedly sodomized by the pastor.
The accused also referred to another message in which he complained that he had no job, was struggling to pay rent and wanted Kayanja to clear the balance he claimed was owed to him, further questioning why Kayanja had suddenly stopped answering his phone calls and messages, saying the pastor did not even respond after he informed him that his father had died and he desperately needed financial assistance.
As the cross-examination progressed, tempers briefly flared when Muwaganya suggested Ssentongo had fabricated the allegations to extort money and destroy Kayanja’s reputation.
An irritated Ssentongo accused the prosecutor of trying to impress Kayanja instead of pursuing the truth. He argued that Kayanja’s own responses to his messages showed there was indeed an unpaid financial obligation between them.
“I am ready to remain in prison without keeping quiet about Kayanja’s homosexuality until my UGX 4 million is paid,” Ssentongo declared in court.
The accused also denied having any working relationship with pastors Solomon Male, Aloysius Bugingo, David Kiganda or Jackson Ssenyonga.
The prosecution later played an audio recording allegedly showing Ssentongo seeking assistance from Pastor Aloysius Bugingo regarding his dispute with Kayanja. Ssentongo admitted contacting Bugingo but explained that he was simply looking for help to recover the money he claimed Kayanja owed him.
After the prosecution concluded its cross-examination, Chief Magistrate Adams Byarugaba adjourned the case to August 6 for further hearing.
