US Court Denies Ssebaggala's Plea to Testify in Luganda

On August 6, 1998, Hajj Nasser Ntege Ssebaggala, the recently elected Mayor of Kampala, faced a significant legal hurdle in the United States. During a bail and detention hearing in Boston, Massachusetts, Ssebaggala, popularly known as “Seya,” requested to testify in his native language, Luganda.

His defense team had arranged for a Ugandan student, Yunus Kalule, to serve as an interpreter. However, U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler rejected the petition. The judge reasoned that English is the official language of Uganda, used in government and education, and thus Ssebaggala should be able to testify in English.

Further evidence cited by the court was Ssebaggala’s prior participation in an international conference in Chicago, where he reportedly did not require an interpreter. This suggested to the court that he possessed adequate English proficiency.

The court dismissed the interpreter and proceeded with the hearing in English. To accommodate Ssebaggala, Judge Bowler instructed prosecutors and witnesses to speak slowly, ensuring he could follow the proceedings.

This ruling was one of the initial major setbacks in the legal battle Ssebaggala faced. Two days later, his request to return to Uganda to fulfill his mayoral duties was also denied; instead, he was placed under strict house arrest with electronic monitoring while awaiting trial.

The case culminated on December 4, 1998, when a federal jury found Ssebaggala guilty of eight charges, including bank fraud and making false customs declarations. He was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay a fine and restitution.

The conviction led to Ssebaggala’s temporary removal from his mayoral office due to laws concerning dishonesty offenses. Nevertheless, his political career endured. After serving his sentence and returning to Uganda in February 2000, he successfully re-entered politics and was re-elected Mayor of Kampala in 2006.

This event was reported by Nile Post.