Samantha Mwesigye, Senior State Attorney with the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affair, has revealed she has been sexually harassed by a male supervisor in the ministry even though she could not name her tormentor.
Ms Mwesigye said that last she approached the Office of the Solicitor General for help, though up now nothing has been done. “In September 2018, I made a formal sexual harassment complaint to the Solicitor General. But up to now, nothing has been done,” she said Thursday Morning
“I’m talking about harassment that has taken over a decade. While I was at Clerkship, this one gentleman harassed me in various ways. In 2007, I joined the ministry as a full employee. He would then just make comments,” she said while appearing on NBS Morning Breeze segment.
The official said It was in 2009 that the senior male colleague starting making sexual advances toward her. “In 2009 that he sat me down and put his point across, saying I’m a grown-up who pretended not to understand his advances. I’ve been victimised over and over but what upsets me most is that I was never able to speak up,” she said.
Just last year, I had dental issues that would cost about Shs2.5 million. This particular gentleman, who is my supervisor clearly told me that it was very little money. All I had to do was sleep with him,” she cried.
“In 2018, I had a friend who encouraged me to speak out because silence just leads him on. I sent this gentleman an email regarding how he’s made me feel over the decade. After I sent him this email, he called a department meeting and ridiculed me in front of everyone. He asked me to read the email I had sent him. All through the meeting, it was about me. That was it for me,” she said.
When asked why she declined to respond to the gentleman’s advances, she said: “No. I simply wasn’t interested in him. I don’t know why it’s a prerogative for me to choose who I relate with. Judges are as well being sexually harassed. This broke my heart.”
