High Court convicts nine people for murder

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Justice Margret Mutonyi has sentenced nine people for different incidents of murder. The convicts appeared before Justice Mutonyi in the Mukono High Court on Monday. The first set of convicts comprised David Odeya, Jane Nabawanuka, John Kisala, and Paul Zimula, all residents of Ntoto village in Mukono district.

Justice Mutonyi sentenced the group to 50 years in prison for the murder of their aunt, Beatrice Nakabugo. Court heard that on December 11, 2014, the convicts hacked Nakabugo to death. The deceased’s daughter, Topista Namilimu and cousin to the convicts told the court that she was inside the house that day her mother was killed and heard the sound of a machete outside.

According to Namilimu, she ran outside to check what was happening, only to find her mother on the ground with blood oozing from the head. She told the court that the saw the assailants running to one of the convicts home wearing a long black jacket. Eliya Kasule, another prosecution witness told the court that when he responded to the alarm, he found Nabawanuka whisking off the assailant he identified as Odeya on a motorcycle.

Court also heard that the convicts skipped heir aunt’s vigil and burial but kept in touch with Nabawanuka, who is said to have masterminded the entire murder as she had severally threatened the deceased for allegedly bewitching her family.

Although the convicts pleaded not guilty to the charges, court concluded that Nabawanuka orchestrated the whole plan and sourced the services of Odeya to execute their aunt while Kisala and Zimula helped hide the criminal in Nsambya where they were picked up from after tracing their phones.

The same court also sentenced Valeria Nakibondwo, and her children Ernest Mulwana, Emmanuel Kazungu, Annet Nalugo, and Jenifer Safare for the murder of her 80-year-old mother in law Dementia Kanange over land.

Prosecution relayed on the evidence of police pathologist Dr. Moses Byaruhanga who examined the deceased’s body and concluded that she had suffered manual strangulation. The deceased’s son, Dominic Kasasila and his father told the court that on the fateful day when he arrived at home, he found his mother’s house in the dark something he found strange because she always slept with her light on.

He explained that upon moving closer, he heard saucepans falling before some people started pelting him with stones to stop him from accessing the house. According to Kasasila, he ran for his life since he had also received threats from his wife for selling land to access better treatment.

Edward Kabongole, the LC I chairperson said that they had meetings where the convicts and their father were fighting over land.  He told the court that the night when Kanange died, the convicts stayed in their house laughing instead of mourning their dead grandmother. Court found the convicts guilty and sentenced Nakibondwo to 15 years in prison considering her age and handed 25 years to each of her children.

*****

URN