KAMPALA – President Museveni has directed embattled Jinja RDC Eric Joseph Sakwa to immediately vacate office and only return when the allegations against him are fully investigated and dispose of.
Despite court on Wednesday, May 20, ruling that Sakwa’s interdiction was unlawful and saying that he can return to his job, the President said allegations for which his representative in Jinja is being accused of are very grave and he cannot continue holding office in the circumstances.
“Sakwa is accused of being present when a mwananchi was being beaten by LDUs and that Mwananchi later died. I have since got information that this was a frame-up by corrupt people in Jinja that are fighting Sakwa because of his good work,” Mr Museveni said in a May 20, 2020 letter.
He added that whereas the allegations may be false, they cannot be taken lightly and should be thoroughly investigated. Sakwa was interdicted following his legal woes that stemmed from the death of a one Sanga Charles, a resident of Lwanda Village in Mafubira Sub county Jinja District, who was allegedly tortured on orders of the RDC.
“A Ugandan dying is very serious. It is in the best interests of Sakwa for facts to come out establishing the truth. Was he at the scene when the mwananchi was being beaten? That would be bad enough even if the mwananchi did not die. Violence by security forces should only be used in self-defence. Even then, it should only be violence to subdue the suspect and arrest but not anything else,” the President said.
“It is good that Sakwa got bail. Let him go on leave for two months and work with the Director of Public Prosecutions and court to get the facts and conclude the case. This is not a political matter for dialogue. It is a serious criminal allegation. If the accusers of Sakwa are lying, it will boomerang on them,” he added.
On Wednesday, May 20, Sakwa received some sigh of relief after court in Jinja halted his eviction from office.
This came after an application filed by Sakwa through his lawyers – Nyote and Co advocates and Alaka & Co advocates seeking to revoke the earlier interdiction announced by the office of the Presidency by its Secretary, Hajji Kakande Yunus.
In the injunction secured by Sakwa on Wednesday, court ordered the Attorney General and Hajji Yunus Kakande, refered to as the respondents, and their agents against evicting Sakwa from his office of RDC Jinja District and that he continues executing his duties unhindered.
