Novelist Kakwenza in Shs40m fundraising campaign to save his sureties

Self-exiled Ugandan novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija has launched a Shs 40m fundraising campaign to save his sureties from being arrested.

In a tweet, the award winning author and writer said that he fled the country to save his life, and the onus is upon him to try and save the people who stood surety for him back in January before he fled the country.

“My friends who stood surety for me owe court 40m coz I fled the country for my life. It's upon me now to raise the money and pay court--in respect of summons. I'm looking for 5,000 people who can send UGX8,000…” Kakwenza said.

Kakwenza, who is charged with two cases of offensive communication for insulting the persons of President Museveni and his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba was granted a cash bail of shs 500,000.

He presented four sureties, who were then placed on a shs 10 million bond each, making it a total of shs 40 million.

The four sureties included National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, lawyer Julius Galisonga, Annah Ashaba, a teacher at Kololo Secondary School and Job Kiija.

The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on Monday ordered for the arrest of the four sureties, for failure to bring Kakwenza to court.

Chief Magistrate, Dr. Douglas Singiza issued an arrest warrants for all the four sureties, saying that it will only be canceled if they present to court the shs 10 million each to fulfil their obligations.