The former Sinohydro Power Project, Karuma deputy Human Resource Manager, Lawrence Johnson Ochola has, after 10 years, narrated how he was arrested multiple times, charged, prosecuted and finally released by the court after the 37th appearance.
Ochola was arrested by the joint security forces in August 2015, and slapped with a number of allegations including fraud, misuse of firearms and others but they eventually and mysteriously zeroed down on the misrepresentation of President Yoweri Museveni’s name.
Ochola, who holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management, started working as an assistant human resource manager at the Sinohydro power project in Karuma in 2014.
However, only a year into his job, his life took a dramatic turn when he was arrested in 2015.
He denied the allegations, stating that he never used the President’s name to gain favour or influence. He believes that his problems begun when he started dating a lady (name withheld), who he believes was already involved with the head of one of security agencies.
Ochola also claimed that the same agency used him for their own purposes and then abandoned him.
Ochola is born of Apac district in northern Uganda. He said he grew up partly in Mozambique and in the United States. His journey was marked by his adoption by an American family in the early 1990s through a charity organization in Kampala, which enabled him to pursue higher education in the US.
He later settled in Mozambique and started working there.
From Mozambique, he was frequenting Tanzania and was approached by a Ugandan military attache in Dar es Salam called Joshua Mulondo.
“I was convinced to return to Uganda and indeed succumbed to the pressure exerted by the government people for me to come back home,” said Ochola.
On arrival, he said he was received by an agent called Joshua Kakaire and the late Colonel Lauben Mugenyi.
“I was hosted at the Imperial Royal Hotel for three months. They later arranged for me to have a Ugandan passport, which I never had,” he said.
By then, Robert Masolo was Director General External Security Organisation (ESO).
In 2014, the Sinohydro Power project advertised the position of assistant human resource manager and Ochola got the job after undergoing the due process.
“As I work in Karuma, the issue of Lango cultural foundation crisis emerged, and I was asked by Prof. Kihura Nkuba, who was sent to me by a powerful UPDF general, to find ways of mediating the conflict in the Cultural Foundation, which I did successfully,” he said.
“In the course of my work, I met a lady and we started seeing each other, dating and all that. But as we went on with our relationship, two months down the line, I became wanted man,” said Ochola.
Adding: “Soldiers from Gulu came to my office looking for me to be arrested. I was out of the office, and I was wondering what happened. Then I drove myself to Mbuya defense headquarters to find out what exactly I had done.”
On reaching Mbuya, Ochola found the OC of Kinawataka police station called Okidi. Okidi placed Ochola under arrest but didn’t tell him the offense.
“Later I was told that I had gone to Karuma and told the Chinese that I was sent by the President to go and represent him in that project,” said Ochola.
Ochola was then detained at the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) facility in Kireka without making a statement.
“No evidence was brought forward or any statement recorded from me. I was only told that the order for my arrest came from above” said Ochola.
Adding: “I told them that I have not met the president before. Why would he even send me to Karuma without a written notice?”
After 3 days in detention, Ochola was told that the president wanted to see him.
“They picked me from the cells and told me they were taking me to the president, but to my surprise, I was taken to ESO at night,” said Ochola.
From the ESO headquarters, Ochola said he was told to accept to stand before TV, radio stations, newspapers, all the tabloids, and tell Ugandans that he misused the name of the President and that he is a fake man.
“I objected to their demands because I am a credible man,” said Ochola.
Two days later, Ochola was released on police bond and was told that it was an instruction from the president himself to Grace Akullo, the then director of CID.
“I went back to my workstation in Karuma but again got arrested by the District Police Commander Kiryandongo, who came to my office and said he had instruction from the head of an’agency.
Ochola was again taken to SIU Kireka and detained for the second time.
Four days later, Ochola was driven to Kiryandongo, where he appeared before a grade 1 magistrate, who instantly granted him bail.
“I diligently appeared before that court 37 times and no accuser ever appeared. No prosecution witness came: the state never had a case against me and it was dismissed,” he said.
Ochola strongly believes that all the troubles he had stemmed from the relationship he had with the lady.
“I only realized that the lady I met in Karuma that became my lover was the cause of all these problems. The elders advised me to let it go, and indeed, when I left her on a Wednesday with a 5 months pregnancy, on Friday, she was married by the head of the security agency,” said Ochola.
All the baggage on Ochola’s head disappeared when he left the woman. Months later, the lady gave birth and the child was brought to Ochola.
