The Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has issued criminal summons against Herbert Anderson Burora, the former Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) for Rubaga Division, following his failure to appear in court on Tuesday. Burora faces allegations of spreading defamatory information.
The summons, signed by Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi, were issued after State Attorney Ivan Kyazze requested the court to intervene when Burora, his legal team, and his sureties failed to attend the scheduled hearing. The court has now directed Burora to appear on January 7, 2025, without fail.
When approached, Burora claimed he had mistakenly believed the hearing was set for Wednesday. He is accused of six charges, including hate speech and disseminating malicious information against the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among.
The prosecution alleges that between March and June 2024, Burora, using his X (formerly Twitter) account under the handle “Harder HB,” shared posts labeling Among as corrupt, a torturer, murderer, and kidnapper. These statements, according to prosecutors, were intended to demean and promote hostility against the Speaker.
Burora, who has denied the charges, is currently out on bail.
His troubles reportedly began in early 2024 when he made critical posts about alleged corruption within Parliament, particularly implicating the Speaker. Following these posts, Burora was suspended from his role on March 14, 2024, by Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Secretary to the Office of the President. The suspension letter cited his continued defiance of official guidelines and his use of social media to air grievances, which breached Uganda’s Public Service Standing Orders of 2021.
Rather than await the end of his suspension, Burora resigned on March 18, 2024, citing his desire to maintain his personal integrity and conscience.