Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has intimated that in 1956, he appeared before a court of law under a tree where he was coached to plead guilty to his charges.
In a series of tweets on Monday, January 2, the Ugandan Head of State detailed how he went to play football, leaving the cattle that were in his custody behind.
The cattle then descended on a millet garden belonging to a Ugandan citizen before he was booked for an offence.
"The only time, I entered a Court of Law, was in 1956, when, being attracted by a game of football, I joined the other boys to enjoy the sport (because I was a good footballer), only to discover that the cattle I was herding had descended on a Mwananchi's luscious millet garden.
"Running at full speed, I tried to save whatever was remaining of the millet. It was, however, too late. I had committed the offence of okwonesa. From a layman's understanding, it means one’s livestock eating the crop of another citizen," Museveni stated.
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The Ugandan president said that when he appeared before the court under a tree, he was coached to plead guilty because it could better for everybody.
"This temporary attraction to village football qualified me to appear before the Parish Court at Kikoni, under a mutooma tree. I was, then, coached, I do not remember by who, to say: “omushaango ningwikyiriiza” – I plead guilty to the charge – and that by so doing, it will be better for everybody," Museveni said.
He, however, said that his father had to pay the owner of the millet some compensation.
Museveni recounted the incident in his new year message to Ugandans, urging them to put equal effort on work in the new year for them to get an equal reward.
