LIBERATION DAY/IBANDA: Gov’t official arrested for pelting bottle at M7, charged with treason, speaks out from jail

By Francis Otucu

Charges of treason have been preferred against an official of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development accused of treason. Allen Cherotich, 48, is said to have thrown a water bottle at President Yoweri Museveni as he inspected the parade on January 26, 2020 at St. George Teachers College, Kagongo Division in Ibanda at a celebration to mark 34 years of the NRM government. She was immediately arrested and held at the Central Police Station, Ibanda Vide IBD CRB 089/2020/Treason. The police say her file has been set to the Resident State Attorney for advice.

SPEAKS

In her statement, Cherotich said she threw the bottle in excitement. She insists, that there was no ill motive in the incident. Investigators are still establishing her motive.

TREASON

Section 23 of the Penal Code Act, the collection of laws setting out criminal offences in Uganda and their punishment, states that a person commits treason when he/she; (a) levies war against the Republic of Uganda; (b) unlawfully causes or attempts to cause the death of the President or, with intent to maim or disfigure or disable, unlawfully wounds or does any harm to the person of the President, or aims at the person of the President any gun, offensive weapon, pistol or any description of firearm, whether it contains any explosive or destructive substance or not; (c) contrives any plot, act or matter and expresses or declares such plot, act or matter by any utterance or by any overt act in order, by force of arms, to overturn the government as by law established.

The section further states that a person also commits treason when he/she aids or abets another person in the commission of treason, or becomes an accessory before or after or conceals acts of treason.

The section describes death as the punishment.

Section 23 (2) states that any person who forms an intention to compel by force or constrain the government as by law established to change its measures or counsels or to intimidate or overawe Parliament; or instigate any person to invade the Republic of Uganda with an armed force and manifests any such intention by an overt act or by any utterance or by publishing any printing or writing, commits treason and is liable to death if convicted. 

Section 23 (3, 4) further note that a person also commits treason if he /she incites any person to commit an act of mutiny or any treacherous or mutinous act; incites any such person to make or endeavor to make a mutinous assembly, attempts to seduce any person serving in the armed forces or any member of the police force or prison services or any other security service, by whatever name called to withdraw from his or her duty and allegiance to the Constitution. Such persons are also liable on conviction to suffer death.