A retired 56 year old soldier has been sentenced to three years in prison by the General Court Martial (GCM) for losing 30 rounds of live ammunition while on duty in Somalia.
The GCM chairperson, Brigadier General Robert Freeman Mugabe, handed the sentence to Abel Mwesiga, identified by his service number Rav/154246 (retired), after he confessed to the charge of failing to protect war materials. This offense is in violation of Sections 120 (1) (2) (e) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Act, which carries a maximum penalty of death upon conviction.
In delivering the sentence, Brigadier General Mugabe considered several mitigating factors. He noted that Mwesiga had expressed remorse, was of advanced age, pleaded guilty without delay, and was a family man with dependents. He also mentioned that Mwesiga was in poor health, factors which contributed to a lighter sentence.
The court decided to reduce Mwesiga’s sentence significantly. Having already spent one year and 14 months in remand, and taking into account an additional reduction of eight months for the mitigating factors, Mwesiga was ultimately sentenced to one year in prison.
Mwesiga has the right to appeal the court’s decision within 14 days if he is dissatisfied with the ruling.
The prosecution, led by Captain Gift Mubehamwe, presented the details of the case, stating that on June 8, 2023, at Tower 4, Base Camp Mogadishu in Somalia, Mwesiga lost his personal weapon, an SMG rifle No. 145957, along with a magazine containing 30 rounds of live ammunition.
Mubehamwe argued that such offenses are both common and serious, calling for a strong punishment to deter similar incidents in the future.
Throughout the trial, Mwesiga was represented by lawyer Lieutenant Daniel Kagombe.
