By Keefa Nuwahereza
Eleven of the 21 suspects who were arrested by police in Kireka for staging a sex party last weekend face seven years in jail after they were convicted by Grade One Magistrate, Joan Aciro, of Kira Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The eleven were charged and convicted by Magistrate, Aciro, of Kira Chief Magistrates’ Court after they pleaded guilty on their own plea on Wednesday October 14, 2020.
On Saturday 10th October 2020, 21 suspects were arrested by Kampala Metropolitan Police after being found participating in a sex party in Kireka.
They were detained at Kira Division Police Station on charges of disobedience of lawful orders and doing acts that are likely to cause the spread of infectious disease, which is Coronavirus.
On Wednesday 14th October, eleven of those arrested were charged and convicted on six counts of disobedience of lawful orders, negligent act likely to spread infection of disease, keeping a brothel, indecent practices, prostitution, and promoting trafficking in persons.
The offences attract maximum jail sentences of three and seven years’ imprisonment, respectively.
Prosecution alleged that the accused and others still at large on October 10, 2020 at Kireka Tower Guest House, Kira Municipality in Wakiso district while in a sex party disobeyed lawful orders, namely curfew, of being in their homes between 9:00pm and to 5:30am issued by President Yoweri Museveni.
It is also alleged that the accused in the same place, unlawfully and negligently engaged in a social gathering, an act they knew to be likely to spread infection of disease, namely COVID-19, a disease dangerous to human life.
The case was adjourned to October 14, 2020 for sentencing and hearing to those who denied the charges.
The convicts include, Suzan Akwir, 25, Phiona Nalubega, 27, Prossy Nabukenya alias Nakimera, 20, Esther Apio, 26, Christine Nsereko, 21, Edith Nakimbugwe, 22, and Mariam Nakalembe, 20, Ali Mugisha, 26, Sabra Achen, 23, Shakira Nanteza, 28, and Irene Namatovu, 28, majority of them sex workers.
However, the owner of Tower Guest House in Kireka, Sharon Amutusimire, 26, where the offences were committed, denied the charges together with Yesiga Mugenyi, 20, a boda-boda rider.
Amutusimire faces separate charges of keeping a brothel and promoting trafficking in persons.
Amutusimire is also accused of using the guesthouse for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old girl (name withheld on police request).