The High Court sitting in Kisoro District, presided over by His Lordship Justice Samuel Emokor, who is currently on criminal session duty from the Land Division, has convicted and sentenced three men from Nyakabande Sub-county to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of a 20-year-old man.
The convicts, Ronald Rukundo, 24, Joseph Mbarushimana, 20, and Julius Mugisha, all residents of Kigezi Village, Gisorora Parish, Nyakabande Sub-county, in Bufumbira East Constituency, were found guilty of the offence of murder contrary to Sections 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act.
Court heard that on July 8, 2022, the trio, with malice aforethought, unlawfully caused the death of Eric Niyonsaba, also a resident of the same area.
The prosecution successfully proved the essential ingredients of murder, leading His Lordship to enter a conviction against all three accused persons.
During allocutus (the mitigation stage), Defence Counsel Rodgers Nabassa prayed for a lenient sentence, submitting that the convicts were first offenders, youthful, and still capable of rehabilitation and becoming useful members of society.
However, State Prosecutor Best Kemigisha Niwagaba argued for a deterrent and exemplary sentence, stressing that such violent conduct must be discouraged within the community.
In his sentencing remarks, Justice Emokor imposed a 20-year custodial sentence, with the period the convicts had already spent on remand duly deducted in accordance with the law.
In a separate matter, the same court also convicted and sentenced a 33-year-old man from Bukimbiri Sub-county for the murder of his uncle.
The convict, Saidi Edson, a resident of Chogo Village, Kagunga Parish, Bukimbiri Sub-county, was found guilty of murder after evidence showed that he, together with Ephaphras Mugabirwa and others still at large, unlawfully caused the death of Jack Tukahirwa, aged 60, a resident of the same village.
During the sentencing hearing, State Attorney Eroni Nambi prayed for an exemplary punishment, stating that the offence was grave and required a strong deterrent message to would-be offenders.
Defence Counsel Edson Nabassa, representing the accused persons, pleaded for a lenient sentence for Edson and argued that Ephaphras Mugabirwa was innocent and should be acquitted.
Justice Emokor consequently acquitted Mugabirwa after finding no sufficient evidence linking him to the offence.
However, the judge convicted Saidi Edson and sentenced him to 30 years’ imprisonment, also deducting the time he had spent on remand.
