KAMPALA – High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana has awarded Shs50m to Nakasero Mosque Administration for the illegal and unlawful raid on them by Security Operatives without a search warrant in 2016.
Two People; Siraje Kifampa, the then Public Relations Officer and Yusuf Musa Musuda, an Imam at the said Mosque sued government challenging the security raid that occured on December 27, 2016 at a place of worship for the Jammiyaat Daawa Asaalafiyah Muslim Community in Kampala.
Through their lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde, the applicants argued that the operatives forced themselves inside the mosque with no search warrant and indiscriminately battered and arrested whoever was found inside the mosque’s compound.
Its against this background that Justice Ssekaana ruled that the actions by the operatives wounded the feelings of the applicants and other members of the said Muslim community, insulting their religion and causing them to suffer less favourable treatment and stigmatization in law enforcement on grounds of their religion.
Court also heard that the security operatives had been directed by a one Ayub Nyende who is one of the suspects in the murder Major Mohammad Kiggundu; that some vital information regarding to his death could be found from that mosque.
However, the Judge noted that there was no evidence whatsoever to prove all the actions of the security operatives.
He says that the failure to secure a search warrant aggrevated the situation as there were no guidelines on how the search was to be conducted .
Government has also been ordered to pay the applicants costs of all the money they spent in prosecuting this suit.
