BY PAUL IBANDA & Raymond Mayanja
KAMPALA–Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) court has charged Arua Municipality MP Abraham Abiriga with committing a public nuisance.
Public nuisance is a common law offence in which the injury, loss or damage is suffered by the local community.
City Hall court issued criminal summons against Abiriga after social media pictures showing him urinating near the Ministry of Finance gate in Kampala went viral raising public concern over the legislator’s conduct.
According to prosecution, on September 25, 2017 along Kyaggwe Road in Kampala city, Abiriga urinated on the fence of the Ministry of Finance. Prosecution contends that Abiriga’s act is against Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) maintenance law and order ordinance, 2016.
He has been set free after paying a fine of sh40, 000.
KCCA maintenance law and order ordinance 2016 states that if any person is found guilty of easing in the city, commits a public nuisance offence and is fined Shs40, 000 or imprisoned for two months or serves both sentences.
Court presided over by Grade One magistrate Beatrice Khainza heard that Abigira urinated in the flowers planted by KCCA.
Abiriga recently skipped court. The prosecutor insisted that he was served the criminal summons in personal through the Speaker of Parliament. But his lawyer argued that by the time the summons were served to his client, he was out of Kampala.
When he appeared on a local television station, Abiriga admitted urinating in public, saying he was badly off. He warned the media against interfering with his private life.
“I am in advanced age, what did you want me to do? I was badly off. I am ready to pay the fine,” he said.
Abiriga is among the NRM legislators supporting the lifting of the Presidential age limit. He is obsessed with yellow colour and wears only yellow attires and shoes.
Recently, a woman dragged him to court, accusing of child neglect. He denied being the father of the child but a DNA test proved he is the father.
