A Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) enforcement officer is on remand in Luzira after being charged in connection with the alleged rape and online harassment of a 23-year-old university student who was picked up for walking on a city green belt.
Ismail Osena, 36, of Salaama Road in Makindye Division, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Jalia Basajjabalaba at Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he was charged with rape.
He did not take a plea. Rape is a capital offence, so only the High Court can try the case.
According to the prosecution, the student was stopped by KCCA enforcers for stepping on the grass. Prosecutors say the officers asked her for Shs100,000, which she did not have, and told her to fetch 50 jerrycans of water as punishment.
Instead of taking her to KCCA’s detention offices as she was led to believe, prosecutors allege, she was taken to a guest house in Kampala, where Osena raped her on September 22. The prosecution further alleges that he took nude photographs of her on his phone afterwards.
The allegations have not been tested in court, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Second officer denies harassment charge
A second KCCA enforcement officer, Julius Mukisa, 21, faces a separate charge of cyber harassment. Prosecutors allege that between September 23 and 27 he sent the same student obscene and indecent WhatsApp messages.
Mukisa denied the charge. He was remanded until October 19 and told of his right to apply for bail.
KCCA has not publicly commented on the case. CampusBee has reached out to the authority to ask whether the two officers have been suspended and what steps it is taking, and will update this story.
Know your rights
If you are stopped by city enforcement officers, you can ask for their identification and to be taken directly to an official KCCA office or police station. Fines are not paid in cash to individual officers.
Anyone who has experienced sexual violence can seek support from the nearest police station’s Child and Family Protection Unit, any public health facility, or their university’s gender or counselling office.
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