Today, March 4, 2024, marks the return to court for four men accused of the murder of senior prosecutor Joan Namazzi Kagezi. The accused individuals, identified as Daniel Kisekka, John Kibuuka alias Musa, John Masajjage alias Brian Mubiru alias Badru alias Chongo, and Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, are set to appear before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Chief Magistrate Elias Kakooza is expected to commit the suspects to the High Court to stand trial on charges of terrorism and murder. These serious accusations against the defendants stem from their alleged involvement in the tragic death of Kagezi.
The charges they face include terrorism, as outlined in sections 7 (1)(a) and 2 (b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002, and murder, as per sections 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act. If found guilty, they could face the maximum penalty of death.
Joan Namazzi Kagezi, a former acting Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, met a tragic end on the evening of March 30, 2015, when she was fatally shot in her vehicle in Kiwatule, a suburb of Kampala. The assailants ambushed Kagezi as she stopped to purchase fruits, leaving behind four children.
The accused individuals, along with others who remain at large, are alleged to have orchestrated Kagezi’s murder with malicious intent. Additionally, the prosecution asserts that the attack was carried out as an act of terrorism, aiming to influence the government or intimidate the public for various motives, disregarding the safety of others.
Further details from the charge sheet reveal that two of the accused, Kibuuka and Mugonole, were already serving jail sentences for aggravated robbery, while Masajjage awaited trial on similar charges. Kibuuka resided in Kigo Prison, while Masajjage and Mugonole were detained at Kitalya Prison. Kisekka, on the other hand, was identified as a charcoal burner residing in Nsanvu village, Kitimbwa town council, Kayunga district.
At the time of her tragic death, Kagezi had applied for a position as a High Court judge. She was also the lead prosecutor in the Kampala 2010 twin bombing case, which resulted in the loss of over 76 lives. Some perpetrators of the bombings have been convicted and are serving life sentences.
