Effrance Musimenta Mbagaya, the acting Director Human Resource and Administration at Uganda Civil Aviation Authority-UCAA who has been in Court over a case of defacing campaign posters has walked free after it was withdrawn.
According to reports, Mbagaya authorized the removal of President Yoweri Museveni's campaign posters which had been pinned at the civil aviation head offices at Entebbe Airport.
This contravenes with section 78 of the Presidential Elections Act. The posters had reportedly been pinned on the gate, the walls and other places sorrounding the building which raised complaints from members of the public, that CAA is a public office which should not be seen to be advancing interests of any presidential candidate.
When Mbagaya was summoned and appeared at the Aviation Police Station at Entebbe Airport to record a statement on the matter, she was arrested by Special Forces Command (SFC) officers. The law recommends that a person who defaces campaign posters of any candidate pays a fine not exceeding 480,000 Shillings or faces imprisonment for one year or both, upon conviction.
On Wednesday however, Jean Nareeba the State Attorney told the court presided over by Magistrate Juliet Nakitende that the Director of Public Prosecutions, Jane Frances Abodo, had discontinued proceedings against Mbagaya.
Nareeba further told court that the National Resistance Movement -NRM party wrote a letter on January 19, 2021, indicating that it was not interested in pursuing the matter.
