Athletics Coach Peter Wemali has been arrested and charged for rape and defilement.
The coach has been in the spotlight following accusations from junior female athletes that he sexually harassed them during a training camp in Bukwo ahead of the Africa Cross-country Championships last year.
Wemali was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at Kibuli Police Training School on Sipi Region Regional Police Commander (RPC) James Ruhweza’s orders.
The arrest follows medical examinations on three under-age national runners done by a police surgeon that confirmed that the girls were defiled.
The three female athletes made fresh confessions during a stakeholders meeting in Kapchorwa a couple of weeks ago, claiming Wemali sexually assaulted them and Police had put Wemali on their wanted list.
Peter Wemali
Rape and defilement are capital offences according to Uganda’s Constitution, and attract a death sentence. Court however has the discretion to give a lighter sentence depending on the circumstances.
The runners aged 15, 16 and 17 respectively are all attached to Police Athletics Camp in Kapchorwa. They were sexually assaulted below 18, the age of consent between 2013 and 2014. SPC Ruhweza told Daily Monitor:
We carried out examinations with our Police surgeon in Mbale on Monday and the report indicates that all the girls lost their virginity. Since they accused the coach, we had to arrest him. He is the prime suspect. There is no smoke without fire. We have preferred charges of defilement and rape against him. Let him prove his innocence in court
Wemali spent several hours detained at Jinja Road Police before being transferred to Kapchorwa last night and will appear before the Kapchorwa Chief Magistrate today on Thursday.
Highly rated Ugandan athlete and whistle-blower Moses Kipsiro has also been embroiled in the saga after the girls confided in him, revealing to him that Wemali advised them to get pregnant and abort after three months in order to run better.
Wemali had indoctrinated the girls with his draconian theory that the abortion would “widen their private parts so their legs move more freely” and run faster than the Kenyans.
The 2014 Glasgow commonwealth gold medalist, Kipsiro went on to reveal to media, how Wemali was harassing the athletes only to receive death threats. He was consequently forced to pull out of the contingent that traveled to Guiyang, China for the World Cross Country Championships.
A few days after abandoning the international event, Wemali’s house was burnt. Simon Ayeko also an athlete and cousin to Kipsiro got arrested.
The coach accused the duo of having connived to commit the crime but Ayeko was three days later released on Police bond claiming he was innocent.
Kipsiro insists the coach should be banned from athletics and has since gained support of fellow athlete, World and Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich.
Kiprotich advised the Uganda Athletics Federation to get rid of the coach and Wemali’s arrest is so far the most significant outcome since the saga began last year.
