Omoro District Woman Member of Parliament, Catherine Lamwaka has narrated her ordeal with Kampala International University (KIU) student, James Omara, who was days ago arrested and remanded to Luzira Prison over offensive communication.
Omara, a third year student pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science was last Thursday arrested by the Parliamentary Police, after the female legislator lodged in her complaint, referring to Omara’s love messages as irritating, especially that the defendant knows she is happily married.
Omara was Friday produced before Buganda Road magistrate and leveled with charges of offensive communication, pledged guilty to the charges and remanded to Luzira Prison until Wednesday next week.
‘Happy Valentines My MP’, ‘Why you are so desperate to talk to me now, continue driving’ are two of the many discrediting and obscene messages according to charge sheet, that the MP averred to have received from the suspect.
In an interview with this reporter, the MP said the 23 year old student is a young boy. “I call him a son by the fact that I am married woman and a mother. His messages were not impressive rather offensive in nature.”
“Omara was arrested and admitted sending me such uncomfortable messages and said his intention was at the end to befriend me according to police statement. But when he noticed I was getting tough, he adjusted to an approach of sending irritating messages as a strategy of blackmailing me,” she told this reporter.
“Police said Omara has the habit of hitting at women who are fairly well. “His phone revealed it when opened by police detectives,” she said.
“His first message was on February 1 this year, he kept on sending them till March. A week before he was arrested, the first time he called me, he talked like he knows me quite well and referring to me as ‘my MP’, I just thought he’s one of my voters. I thought he knew me and he kept very consistent on remembering to send his messages,” she said.
The MP said Omara later resorted to messages when she asked him to reveal his name. When he declined to disclose his particulars, the MP said she stopped taking it lightly and reported of an unknown person sending her messages. “I availed all messages to Police, analyzed it and confirmed they were offensive and disturbing my privacy and peace,” she said.
“I met the parents together with the MP of Kitgum they told me more about the boy. I counseled his mother and I forgave the boy. I asked police to release him yesterday morning. I had no bad intentions, I wanted to know who that person is in this current world of wrong characters and criminals perusing people” she told this reporter.
I am a married woman and I have children of my own and many whom am sponsoring in various schools including 23 girls and six boys. I feel I have a responsibility as a parent and a leader, when I come across a young person getting to do wrong things,” she said.
This is not the first student to be dragged to court over offensive communication towards an MP. Months ago YWCA student Brian Isiko was sent to jail for continuously stalking Kabarole District Woman MP Sylvia Rwabwogo. He was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison.
Through his lawyer Ramadhan Waiswa, Isiko appealed against Buganda road Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu’s decision on among others that the legislator once appeared in the press saying she was single and searching. He was subsequently released by high court judge Jane Francis Abodo who also ordered for his retrial in the lower court.
