By Justin S. Tibenda – 16^th-22^nd Aug 2010

The confessions on 12^th August 2010 by Edris Nsubuga, Mohamood Mugisha, and brothers Haruna and Issa Luyima, the key suspects in the 7/11 Kampala bombings, have been called into serious question by a cross section Ugandans.Anne Mugisha, an FDC party stalwart, kicked off the e-debate on the social networking site Facebook with a simple tongue-in-cheek question about media reports that the terror suspects had confessed to the crimes they are accused of:  “Is there anyone else who thinks this sounds scripted”; Anne Mugisha asked.

That was all it took to open the flood-gates.  The responses came in thick and fast; 84 of them by the time Uganda Correspondent went to press.  While there were some few Ugandans like Mr. Timothy Kanyogonya, [a suspected CMI Lawyer] who thought the suspects’ confessions were genuine, the overwhelming majority thought they had smelt a rat in the whole saga.  The samples below really speak for themselves.

For example, a certain Mosh Ibrahim thought it was “…interesting terrorists making confessions during press conferences.  Not even captured IRA, LRA, ADF, ALQEADA, FERC!  Never have I seen or heard these guys do that.  May be Uganda police is excellent”.

Timothy Kanyogonya, for his part, said “…whatever the cynicism, remember that foreign agencies like the FBI, Scotland Yard, Kenyan security/police were involved in these arrests.  Kenyans were handed over to Uganda from Nairobi and have been charged already.  This is just part of the bigger group of those in custody.  So are the cynics saying that if the story doesn’t add up for you and not to your individual tastes, it is not true?  Are the foreigners part of the big conspiracy theory?  I don’t get it”; he says

Dennis Boot shot back with even more sarcarcsm and said:  “These days criminals don’t waste police and courts’ time.  The arsonist of [Kasubi tombs], Lydia Draru [Kazini], and now the 7/11 suspects all confessed to the crimes! Maybe all these are speaking the truth”.

Charles Etukuri weighed in too and said, “…well, the whole confessions thing was too strange to be true.  I could see fear in the eyes of the so called terrorists. Only God knows what they have been through in the hands of our Ugandan Intelligence people and what they could still be going through.  Maybe one of them was sitting there with his balls chopped off and the others were fearing the same could happen to them if they didn’t act well”.

Joanita Annette Kemirembe agreed with Anne Mugisha and said, “…Anne, I do agree with you.  This sounds so scripted.  The truth will someday prevail and come out no matter how long!!!  Our nation/people who lost loved ones at such a tender age do not deserve this.  What has happened to human conscience?  We no longer have remorse?”

Babs Victoria Nsibirwa too thinks there is something not quite right about the confessions.  “…I agree with you. Very fake confession… hard to believe someone is still playing on our feelings! Our little girl will never come back. We buried her in pieces and here comes a fake confession. What do they take us for”; she charged with the unmistakable anger of a grieving person.

Nzige Morris introduced a Hollywood touch to the proceedings and said, “…this was a serious movie acted with both Director and Producer.  Anyway all I know [is] the terrorist blew themselves.  So the suspects are forced to act”; he said.

John Ssempebwa then poses a question to Tim and Arthur, both participants in this e-debate:  “…Tim and Arthur, why do u think many Ugandans don’t trust government and prefer to believe [that the] confessions were staged?  Is it that 24yrs of diminishing returns to monopolistic air supply”; he says.

Titus Gerald Tumusiime is one of the few Ugandans in this debate who thought the confessions were genuine.  “…I thought the suspects were genuine. The stories seem to collaborate with earlier reports and findings”; he insists.

Mukombozi Abel then challenged Anne Mugisha with a question:  “Anne, do think terrorists will stop their activities because NRM is out of power?  I don’t think the 7/11 victims (RIP) belonged to one party.  Please oppose objectively”; he counselled.

However, a certain Muhereza Kyamutetera was having none of that from Mukombozi Abel.  “Mukombozi, I am in NRM like you.  But we are trying to appeal to sense of reason. Something does not add up and as Ugandans we deserve an explanation. Please sycophant wisely”; he advises his NRM colleague.

Joanita Annette Kemirembe too had a piece of advice for Mukombozi Abel.  “…please do not be more catholic than the Pope.  Argue and put your views more smartly.  You can do better than that.  I am NRM and this is the government I have known.  Do not try to dissuade me and others!  We feel for country and party.  It’s thinking like yours that has derailed the NRM and caused its lots of harm”; she says

Walter Wafula also entered the fray with his own views.  “I thought I was the only person who noticed some sort of “kinaigeria” rehearsals at media centre.  Then, there’s a report that the Police and CMI boss were fighting over the suspects.  Hmn!  If I were Brig James Mugira, I wouldn’t even be showing up at such press conferences.  A head of an “intelligence” unit with no intelligence on such a scripted movie tell!  Nah something is amis! Stop taking us for boda boda rides”; Wafula ends his diatribe.

Clearly, over 95% of Ugandans in this e-debate doubted the authenticity of the confessions of the suspects.  The onus is therefore on Museveni’s government to rebuild public confidence.  Musa Mayanja Lwanga summed it all up when he said, “…I only have one simple statement for this forum.  “This is Uganda”.  I am so glad that many people are able to express their doubts on this issue of parading terrorists.  If the opinions expressed here constituted a jury trial, we would have no conviction.  It’s therefore in the government’s interest to produce more evidence to convince the nation that this wasn’t a “boda boda ride”.

Amnesty International, an international human organisation, recently condemned similar confessions in Iran.  The organisation’s Middle East Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui said:  “This so-called confession forms part of growing catalogue of other forced confessions and self-incriminating statements made by many detainees in the past year. Statements made in such televised exchanges should have no bearing on Iran’s legal system or the call to review her case”.