Kasiwukira Case: The Irony In Being Just On Monday 8th December, Uganda’s most renown university of understanding, Luzira, made space for two characters paralleled by heinous crime yet contrasted by the public’s perception of their recent achievements or rather failings. One, currently a villain who boasted a flawless veneer as the country mourned with her at the loss of an industrious husband in the late Kasiwukira while the other was and still is a villain with a flawed veneer in both local and international media whose coat had been unmasked through a video of her gothic nature that circulated on social media. The late Kasiwukira and his wife who has been charged with murder. The former is, Sarah Nabikolo Ssebunya, wife to the deceased Eriya Ssebunya commonly known as Kasiwukira and the latter is Jolly Tumuhirwe commonly labelled as the “monster maid” in media who was captured in a video beating the living day lights out of an 18 month old toddler. The former is charged with the murder of her husband and is currently enjoying the fruits of the charge in Luzira whilst the latter is charged with torture and also enjoying the fruits of her charge from Luzira although murder charges had been preferred against her. These two women’s contrasting reception by the Ugandan public tells why the public court is the last court you should ever set foot in. You had rather rescind your presidency for a day like Uhuru Kenyatta did and face prosecutors at the ICC but not be prosecuted by an enraged public court where you’re guilty until proven innocent, are sentenced depending on the public’s emotional state and receive your sentence through opinions on social media most especially. When the gothic images of Jolly Tumuhirwe torturing a toddler made a triathlon across all tribes of media, the public court did not spare her any moment. She was sentenced to death by most people who were enraged by her act. Ugandans bayed for her blood just to give her a pinch of her own medicine on social media. Yesterday, she pleaded guilty to her charge and followed her plea with an apology to everyone and not just the toddler’s immediate family. Which is the tipping point for me in her case. Jolly Tumuhirwe commonly labelled as the monster maid in media who was captured in a video beating the living day lights out of an 18 month old toddler. I am a stranger to the dynamics of our law but my presumption is that one who pleads guilty acknowledges a mistake made and accepts they were wrong. On the other hand, is widowed Ms Sarah Nabikolo Ssebunya who we wept and rolled in the mud with as we cursed the grim reaper. Today, she is a key suspect with a string of others who are also locked up in Luzira regarding her husbands sudden death. Whilst she is only but a suspect whose conviction may never come to pass if she is found innocent in the future, she still draws enough parallels with Jolly Tumuhirwe who did the most noble thing in this situation; plead guilty, accept your misgivings rather than escalate the matter. This brings me to ask, why then has the public not brought all its guns out for Ms Sarah Nabikolo Ssebunya? Doesn’t the public feel cheated for it shed a tear with someone who was shedding crocodile tears. Where is the anger that was meted out to Jolly Tumuhirwe only weeks ago? I thought one is guilty until proven innocent in public court. Kasiwukira’s widow is not innocent yet so why then should the public court be fair to her? Those are the two sides to this coin. In this case lies the irony in justice served by the public court. While Jolly Tumuhirwe is still a villain in the eyes of the public even after acknowledging her wrong and apologising (note that apologies do not come on a cheap) she is still scolded by the public for her outrageous behavior and on the other hand, the public merely pats Ms Sarah Nabikolo Ssebunya on the back for having a hand in the murder of her husband. That is the irony in being just.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 08:16:15 +0000
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