Renowned Kampala-based born-again pastor, Robert Kayanja, the leader of Lubaga Miracle Centre, is currently testifying in a significant legal case at the Mwanga II court. He is facing a group of nine former members of the so-called “Kiface” gang, who are accused of trespassing on church property and falsely alleging that the pastor had sodomized them.
In his detailed testimony, Pastor Kayanja recounts how he first encountered these individuals during a revival event known as “77 DOGs” in 2017. At that time, the gang members had come to publicly renounce their previous lifestyles and seek a fresh start. Kayanja emphasized that the church welcomed them with open arms, believing in their desire for change.
In return, the gang members assisted the church in identifying and addressing potential security threats within the congregation.As their relationship developed, Kayanja revealed that the group expressed interest in joining the church’s security team. Following this request, they were consistently enrolled in training at Kabalye training school.
Upon completing their training, Kayanja testified that these individuals were deployed for duty both at the church and on a farm in Kiryandongo on a rotational basis. This deployment was not just about work; it included accommodation and an allowance. The agreement stipulated that a portion of their earnings would be saved for them until they reached adulthood and could manage their finances independently.
However, the situation began to deteriorate. Kayanja, now the 13th prosecution witness in this case, reported that he started receiving troubling complaints about the behavior of the suspects. Allegations of theft, assault, and robbery began to surface, alongside claims that some had abandoned their duties on the farm.
The suspects expressed their dissatisfaction, stating they were tired of working and demanded immediate payment of their accumulated wages.In response, Kayanja directed the suspects to the church’s finance department to assess how much they were owed. An agreement was reached to disburse the payments in installments.
Yet, on September 17, 2021, during a strict lockdown when access to the church was prohibited, Kayanja’s concerns escalated. The suspects broke through security, violently confronted individuals at the church gate, and forced their way inside. They began shouting obscenities and filming themselves, proclaiming that they had come to collect “sodomy money,” claiming that they had been assaulted by Kayanja and others associated with the church.
The videos filmed during this incident were subsequently circulated online, with the aim of going viral. As a pastor with over three decades of service, Kayanja expressed feelings of shock, hurt, and anger at these unfounded accusations, especially given that this was not the first time he faced such allegations.
He pointed to a similar incident in 2010 when several fellow pastors, including Solomon Male, Michael Kyazze, and Martin Ssempa, were convicted and sentenced to 100 hours of community service by the Buganda Road court for related accusations.
The accusations against Kayanja have ignited a firestorm of reaction across social media in Uganda, with many citizens calling for his arrest and urging the government, under President Yoweri Museveni, to shut down Lubaga Miracle Centre. There have also been calls for the police to investigate the situation thoroughly, with a demand that anyone found guilty of lying or perpetrating a crime should face justice in a court of law.
As the trial unfolds, the community watches closely, highlighting the complex intersection of faith, justice, and public perception in contemporary Uganda.
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