Former Makerere University social researcher Dr Stella Nyanzi was today found guilty of cuber harassment by the Buganda Road Court Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu.
The no nonsense scholar was found guilty of cyber harassment but acquitted of offensive communication charges that were labelled against her when she composed a birthday poem targeting the President’s late mother Esteeri Kokundeka.
The poem which was posted on Stella Nyanzi’s social media pages on September 16, 2018, a day after President Museveni’s 74th birthday has seen the researcher spend close to a year in Luzira Prison.
She has however said that she will not relent in the face of prosecution and will continue to speak out against President Museveni’s regime. “I can sacrifice motherhood to whatever alter I need to. I was born for this moment,” she told Buganda Road Court.
Dr Nyanzi said she will speak to dictators even if it means using the language of a vagina. “I am disappointed that you don’t find me guilty of offending the president.”
She said that she plans to offend President Museveni because he has offended the country. “Find me guilty of offending the dictator.”
“I’m not asking for lenience. Send me to prison!’ This is so powerful. I’m an immoral woman” she added.
Prosecution alleges that Nyanzi used a computer to post statements crafted in vulgarity wishing that Museveni should have died at the time of his birth and that she willfully and repeatedly used electronic communication to post similar messages which disturbed the peace, quiet or right of privacy of President Museveni.
In her ruling, the presiding magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu said Dr Nyanzi’s Facebook post corrupts the minds of young generation and that it does not in anyway communicate any message.
The Presiding Magistrate adjourned court to Friday (tomorrow) for sentencing. She faces up to three years in prison or a fine of up to Shs 1.4M.
