Senior State Attorney, Samantha Mwesigye’s sexual harassment and unlawful termination case against the Deputy Solicitor General Christopher Gashirabike and the Attorney General came up for hearing and March 10, 2021 has been set as its hearing date.
In December last year, Mwesigye went to the Industrial Court seeking for an apology from Gashirabike, reinstatement on her job and asked to be awarded damages.
In a phone interview with this reporter, Mwesigye said that she finally got a call from court on Friday last week, informing her about the hearing date.
“My lawyers were called at 4pm on Friday and informed (us that) the case was on for Mention today at 9:30am. They also tried to call the Attorney General’s office but no one picked the phone so they didn’t appear,” Mwesigye told Nile Post.
Mwesigye’s woes date back to May 2019 when she alleged that Gashirabike had victimised her after she turned down his sexual advances and that in return, the Deputy Solicitor General denied her travel opportunities and removed her from the contract committee where she served.
However, Gashirabike was later cleared by the sexual harassment committee that was set up to investigate the matter and Mwesigwe subsequently lost her job before running to petition court on December 19.
In her petition, Mwesigye told court that Gashirabike continously sent her her messages via platforms like WhatsApp that contained unwelcome flirtations language, for example, one that read ‘Love U’, which made her uncomfortable at the place if work and in the course of execution of her duties.
Mwesigye also claimed in her petition that she tried to convince Gashirabike that his requests for a sexual relationship amounted to sexual harassment but he (Gashirabike) refused to stop.
Mwesigye now wants court to only force Gashirabike to apologise, but also have her reinstated on her position as a senior state attorney.
Asked to comment on her case finally being set for hearing, Mwesigye told Nile Post that justice may delay but it might not be denied.
“Justice may delay but ultimately I do pray that it isn’t denied. I am extremely optimistic and appreciate the fact that the wheels of justice have begun to move albeit slowly. In the end what I really appreciate is a forum that is as interested as I am in seeing Justice being served. I also don’t take for granted the opportunity to be heard(something which to date hasn’t happened). If only for the fact that i stood up to bullies!” Mwesigye told Nile Post.
