Members of Parliament has asked the police to arrest city socialite Brian Kirumira alias Bryan White after the report of the Committee on Human Rights pinned him for committing gross sexual abuse on some of the women under his supervision.
Parliament also adopted a recommendation urging the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth-Ochola to take disciplinary action against senior police officers that were attached to Kabalagala police station at the time the offenses were allegedly committed under their watch.
“Brian Kirumira should immediately be arrested and charged for all the sexual offences committed as outlined in this report given that justice delayed is justice denied,” reads in part the report which also pins the socialite for trafficking women in disguise of working under his Bryan White Foundation.
The investigations by the Committee Chaired by Bugiri District Woman Member of Parliament, Agnes Taaka was commissioned by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga in May 2020 after two women accused Bryan White of sexually harassing them.
Bryan White who has always been cruising in expensive cars under tight security was accused by four different women who confessed to have suffered sexual abuse at his hand. These are; Vivian Mutanda who appeared in an Interview on NBS Television, Stella Nandawula through audio recordings circulated on social media, Leticia Nabulime and Moon Tekesha who are living in Germany and Dubia respectively.
All of them claim that they were abused by the socialite while working for his non-governmental organisation, Bryan White Foundation.
MP Taaka in her report informed the House that despite the women testifying before the Committee, efforts to have Bryan White to respond to the allegations were hindered by his continued hospitalization at Nakasero Hospital.
The Committee also discovered that Bryan White Foundation was illegally operating having failed to renew its license with the National Ngo Bureau and that it had deviated from its core activities.
Much as Bryan White was arrested, and recorded a statement having been taken through medical examinations, the police released him on bond and backed off the investigations on a man who was heavily guarded and claimed was a “State House Agent”.
It is also a finding of the committee that one of the victims was under the age of 18 and any sexual act committed against him amounted to the offense of defilement which is contrary to the law of Uganda. He also allegedly facilitated his victims to procure abortions occasionally.
“Brian Kirumira should be charged with defilement of a 17 year old at the time…he raped her and got her pregnant. This is in accordance with Section 129 of the Penal code Act. The Uganda Police should expeditiously investigate the allegations of sexual abuse as outlined above and the culprit(s) should be prosecuted” reads the reports.
Meanwhile MPs questioned the act of security in providing personnel to Bryan White who has with impunity been sexually abusing women with such kind of protection.
Bugabula South MP Moris Henry Kibalya who initially reported the matter to Parliament last year, said today that most of the hardcore criminals in the country are going scot free because of the protection they get from the security agencies.
“The police that are protecting Brian White is the same that is we are asking to bring him here. The laws that govern the police in Uganda are like that web of a spider which can only arrest the flies and when the cockroach comes, it goes with the web. We need to have the police produce Kirumira to answer to his crimes,” he said.
Uganda: Shs1.2 trillion approved to facilitate merged agenciesErute South MP Jonathan Odur said that President Museveni should also be partly blamed because he had been inviting Bryan White to his functions where they are covered in the media seated together despite reports that he is involving himself in criminal activities.
The issue of Bryan White being guarded by soldiers from the Special Forces Command (SFC) an elite force that protects the President was also brought forward.
On learning this, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga wondered how such people gain access to the State House and later use that relationship to commit crimes.
“You wonder how criminals get access to critical places and get benefits from there. Many criminals are escorted by the security. Even the mother coming to testify, she has to first be brought to my office to give her assurance that she will be safe” the Speaker said.
Meanwhile, some of the Ministers present weighed in on the matter with State Minister for Agriculture Col Bright Rwamirama claiming that the allegations that security chiefs were protecting Bryan White were unfounded.
Col Rwamirama said that there is no security chief in the country who cannot be prosecuted and punished for any wrong doing hence suggesting that Internal Affairs Minister Gen Jeje Odongo comes to brief Parliament about the deployment at Bryan White’s home.
“It is not true that some generals are above the law. Generals in this country have been prosecuted, fired and transferred. I am going to ask my colleague Gen Jeje Odongo to come here tomorrow and explain the issue of this Kirumira who feels untouched. We should all raise up in arms whether in opposition or government because this is a very serious matter” the Minister said.
State Minister for Finance in charge of Planning, David Bahati said that sexual abuse by anyone despite of their position should be condemned because it affects the people a lot.
Joy Kabatsi the State Minister for Transport said she was not happy that police could not chain Bryan White on the hospital bed in order for him to be brought before Parliament to testify upon being discharged.
When there was pulling of ropes on the floor of Parliament on who, between the police and SFC guards Bryan White, Kassanda North MP Patrick Oshabe Nsamba quickly rose to provide information.
“Through this Parliament you heard how Uganda came to know Kirumira. Moving with the President and how he was mobilizing for the NRM. The report is saying he was highly protected by the Special Forces Command (SFC) that guards the President. Let the Minister come and explain to the House how a commoner from Mityana becomes highly protected” said Nsamba.
Speaker Kadaga supported the idea of the Internal Affairs Minister to come to the House to explain why police has failed to arrest Bryan White whose sexual abuse acts had been reported.
“I am delighted that the Minister of Internal Affairs should come here. I think the SFC is supposed to be a preserve of the head of state. Why are they discrediting themselves?” she asked.
