The International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala has handed down an eight-year jail term to four individuals for their involvement in a plot to assassinate former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen Edward Kale Kayihura and Namayingo District Police Commander (DPC) Maj Francis Okumu.
Okuku Sadam Umalu, Osinya Colline, Joseph Ojambo, and Lwanga Abudala were sentenced on Friday by Justice Andrew Bashaija, who found them guilty of theft and two counts of conspiracy to murder.
The conviction and subsequent sentencing came following a plea bargain agreement between the defendants and Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo.
The court proceedings revealed that between May and June 2016, the accused stole two AK-47 rifles along with 60 rounds of live ammunition from Nakudi Police Post in Namayingo District, located in eastern Uganda. The theft was discovered after a gunshot was reported at a residence in Sirowa Village, prompting a police operation that led to the arrest of Okuku and his associates.
During interrogation, the defendants confessed to stealing the firearms with intentions to both rob individuals and eliminate those perceived as obstructing or opposing the Tabliq sect of Muslims, including former IGP Kale Kayihura, DPC Namayingo Maj Okumu, and the RDC.
Additionally, the defendants admitted to previously stealing a firearm from a police officer in 2015, which they utilized in various robbery attempts, some successful and others unsuccessful, across eastern Uganda.
The judge, acknowledging the plea bargain agreement, handed down a sentence of eight years on each count, to be served concurrently.
