Uganda: Army Court Remands Senior Police Officer, Two UPDF Soldiers Over Murder of City Lawyer
Six people including a senior police officer, two UPDF soldiers and a businessman among others have been arraigned before the General Court Martial in Makindye and charged with the murder of city lawyer, Ronald Mukisa.
Mukisa, 45, a legal officer working with IBC Advocates in Kampala was shot dead by unknown assailants as he returned home in Kitiko Birongo in Ndejje division, Makindye Ssaabagabo in Wakiso district.
On Monday, SP Vincent Irama, the Kampala Metropolitan North deputy police commander, Cpl Max Goefrey Anyase, Sgt Ayubu Rashid Okot, both UPDF soldiers, businessman Robert Irama Karedou, his wife Brenda Cathy Nalwoga and Kenyan national, Josebert Muzey Hayeza were charged with the murder of Ronald Mukisa contrary to section 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act.
Prosecution told court that on May, 30, 2023 at around 11pm at Kitiko, Mutungo in Wakiso district, the groupwith malice aforethought unlawfully caused the death of Ronald Mukisa.
The group represented by Elizabeth Nyansingwa, Capt Simon Busagwa, Pte Priscilla Kakande and Kevin Mugabi denied the charges.
In response, the army prosecutors led by Pte Reginah Nanzala told court that investigations into the matter are still ongoing and asked for more time to conclude the matter.
The army court chairman, Brig Freeman Mugabe adjourned the matter to August, 1, 2023 and remanded them until then.
The two UPDF soldiers were remanded to Makindye military barracks whereas the rest of the accused were sent to Luzira government prison.
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The group was apprehended last month by the Police Crime Intelligence Directorate and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence(CMI) following the gruesome murder which shocked the nation.
It is said that the legal officer was killed after he developed a misunderstanding with two of the accused, Robert Karedou and Brenda Nalwoga when he allegedly swindled over $1 million from them and requests for him to pay proved futile.
Police last month said the senior police officer who is a brother to the businessman had chaired the meetings that plotted the shooting whereas Cpl Max Anyase , UPDF soldier who had deserted from the ongoing Operation Shuja in DRC was the shooter.
After the shooting, Anyase later called Nalwoga to confirm that he had finished the job.
The law
Whereas there are only two UPDF officers among the suspects and these are ordinarily supposed to arraigned before the General Court Martial, the rest of the suspects are charged before the same court in the matter basing on section 119 of UPDF Act.
Section 119(1)(g) of the UPDF Act stipulates that every person, not otherwise subject to military law, who aids or abets a person subject to military law in the commission of a service offence is liable to be tried under the General Court Martial.
On the other hand, section 188 of the Penal Code Act stipulates that any person who with malice aforethought causes the death of another person by an unlawful act or omission commits murder and section 189 says that if convicted of murder, the person shall be sentenced to death.
