The Supreme Court of Uganda has scheduled a hearing for June 26, 2024, during which it will consider 30 criminal appeals, among them an appeal involving the murder of businessman Eria Ssebunya Bugembe, popularly known as Kasiwukira. Kasiwukira tragically lost his life when he was struck by a speeding vehicle while jogging in the early morning hours in Muyenga neighborhood back in October 2014.
The case revolves around Sandra Nakungu and former police officer Ashiraf Jayden, who were convicted of Kasiwukira’s murder by High Court judge Wilson Masalu Musene in September 2016. Notably, Sarah Nabikolo, Kasiwukira’s wife, was acquitted of any involvement in the murder due to lack of compelling evidence linking her to the crime.
Nakungu, who is Nabikolo’s sister, and Jayden, formerly stationed at Muyenga Police Post, have appealed against their 20-year jail sentences, arguing that inconsistencies in the prosecution’s witness testimonies undermine their conviction.
However, a panel of justices including Elizabeth Musoke, Hellen Obura, and Ezekiel Muhanguzi upheld the lower court’s decision, affirming that the evidence presented sufficiently proved the unlawful killing of Kasiwukira with premeditation and malice. The justices supported the finding that Nakungu and Jayden had conspired to murder Kasiwukira and disguise it as an accidental death.
Furthermore, the court found credibility in the testimony of witnesses who observed Nakungu and Jayden committing the murder, corroborated by additional witnesses approached by the convicts to participate in the crime. Key to the ruling was the identification of Jayden at the scene, placed behind the wheel of the vehicle that fatally struck Kasiwukira on the morning of October 17, 2014.
