By Mulengera ReportersInside a fully-parked Court room at Makindye-based Standards, Utilities & Wildlife Court, 27-year-old Ronald Kiweewa aka Wagon Selector a few days ago was confronted with hard-to-deny evidence (in form of exhibits) which prosecutors from UCC tendered to prove to presiding Magistrata Gladys Kamasanyu that he indeed is the man who (for years) illegally operated 92.0 Crest fm radio in Kyotera Town Council, without obtaining the mandatory broadcasting license and authorization by the regulator.
Kiweewa’s luck ran out on 15th October last year when enforcement teams from UCC raided his business premises in Kyotera, forcefully halted his broadcasting operations and carried away some of the equipment.
At the raid time, Kiweewa (who says he initially didn’t know that this was an offence) was at the premises broadcasting with Sharifah Nakafeero, who served as the receptionist for the radio business.
The two witnessed the confiscation of the equipment and even authenticated the same by signing onto the seizure note. Days after, Kiweewa (who had been warned prior but relentlessly disregarded the regulator) resorted to defiantly demonizing UCC officials using his X and Tik Tok platforms.
He went after them personally.
He accused them of all manner of things including falsely claiming that they had demanded for money bribes in order to let him be. He also incited violence against UCC enforcement officers who switched and halted his illegal broadcasting operations.
He was subsequently arrested and locked up at Jinja Police Station in Kampala from where suspects to be tried in the Utilities Court are often processed from. He was subsequently released on Police bond whose conditions, prosecutors say, he didn’t fully comply with. Prosecution says that he thereafter disappeared and went into hiding, making it hard for him to be traced.
Techlogical capabilities had to be engaged to enforce his appearance before Court last month. He actually was remanded at the beginning of June, ostensibly to avoid him going into hiding once again.
After reflecting on his mistakes and provocative conduct, Kiweewa deleted the abusive messages off his social media platforms and posted a conspiceous apology to the individual UCC enforcement officers he had been disaparaging but apparently, his apology came too late.
Last week, when the prosecution tendered all the evidence, Kiweewa (whose mother and other relatives were in court weeping from the gallery) cracked and said he was pleading guilty and unequivocally apologizing to whoever had been wronged by his wrongful conduct.
He admitted installing broadcasting equipment and going ahead to operate radio broadcasting business without authorization, contrary to provisions of the law including sections 26(1)(3) & 28(1)(2) of the UCC Act. The only aspect he had reservations about was the prosecution assertion that, upon being released on Police bond, he had gone into hiding. He says he has always cooperated and he has always been a phone call away.
It’s important that he clears himself on this issue because it can negatively impact him in mitigation as the Magistrate considers his sentencing.
Her Worship Gladys Kamasanyu took him through his guilty plea, while explaining to him all the implications, whereafter she promisdd to deliver her sentencing at the subsequent court session of Tuesday 15th June.
Led by the Commission’s Head Litigation & Legal Affairs Dr. Abdul Salaam Waiswa, the UCC prosecutors say there is need to act tough on offenders like Kiweewa so as to achieve the detterance effect because such offences are these days rampant in Uganda and yet of great detriment to the public.
Dr. Waiswa says that there is a lot of danger and risk to the entire public if anyone is allowed to establish a radio or any other media broadcasting business without being authorized by the regulator.
That when such an operator propagates offensive communication, the same can potentially collectively hurt public security and interest without the regulator having where to promptly start their regulatory intervention from because they didn’t authorise such operator in the first place. Neither are they aware of where such broadcasting is taking place and who the relevant duty bearers and responsible officers are.
It’s because of such potential risk that UCC requires all members of the public to always report such illegal broadcasting as soon as they became aware of it in the respective districts and cities where they live. The Commission has to rely on such public vigilance because its law enforcement officers can’t be everywhere.
On his part, Kiweewa says he is remorseful and will never engage in such unlawful broadcasting activities again. He says he will be concentrating on brick laying business in his village in Kyotera to be able to provide for his family comprising of five little children aged 5 years and 6 months. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
