A security guard has been sentenced to 45 years in prison by the General Court Martial in Kampala for his role in the murder of a Muslim cleric in Bugiri District.
Sheikh Masuudi Mutumba was fatally shot on February 14, 2020, at Iwemba Trading Center in Bugiri. Following the incident, eight individuals were arrested and brought before the General Court Martial, with one of them, Biasaali Mugoya, confessing to planning and executing the murder.
On Monday, October 2, Biasaali Mugoya, aged 43, received his sentence from the General Court Martial’s chairperson, Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe. During the sentencing, Gen. Mugabe took into account several factors, including the fact that Biasaali was a first-time offender, had pleaded guilty promptly, was 43 years old, and expressed remorse for his actions.
Gen. Mugabe noted that the maximum penalty for the crime was death, but considering the mitigating factors, he deemed a 45-year imprisonment appropriate. After deducting the time spent in remand, Biasaali was sentenced to serve 41 years and 15 days in prison. Gen. Mugabe also informed him of his right to appeal within fourteen days if he disagreed with the court’s decision.
Other individuals involved in the same case, including James Balidhusa Mugoya, a 34-year-old Local Defence Unit officer, Amos Kojja, aged 50, and Sulaiman Konta, aged 52, are still facing charges. Additional co-accused individuals are Charles Mwandha, aged 40, John Henry Jagenda, aged 28, Ashraf Mugoya, aged 20, and a security guard from Hash Security, Alex Mugoya, who goes by the alias Waiswa.
According to the prosecution, Biasaali Mugoya and his co-accused, along with others who remain at large, committed the murder of Mutumba with premeditation on or around February 14, 2020, at Iwemba Trading Center in Bugiri. They used a submachine gun (SMG) with serial number UG POL 13283692, which is typically exclusive to the Defense Forces.
The state prosecutors in the case are Lt Col Raphael Mugisha, Lt Alex Rasto Mukhwana, Private Regina Nanzala, and Private Anthony Phillip Olupot. The defense team is led by Major Silas Kamanda Mutungi, Private Priscilla Kakande, and Elizabeth Nyasingwa Kodil.
