Three suspects, namely Betty Cherotich, Martin Kipsang, and Joshua Namureng, have been remanded to Hoima Government Prison until January 30, 2024 in the wake of the brutal murder of Dr. Jino Abiriga, former acting district health officer for Masindi. The charges of murder were brought against them, leading to their remand by Masindi Chief Magistrate Kosia Kasibayo.
The suspects, escorted amidst tight security from the Police and the army, appeared before Masindi Court at approximately 2:00 pm. Chief Magistrate Kasibayo clarified that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case at this stage, emphasizing that the matter was still under investigation. Florence Akello, assistant director at the regional Director of Public Prosecution Office for the mid-western region, supported this stance, stating, “We request the accused to be remanded as we finalize with the investigations.”
The trio, however, objected to being remanded in Masindi, expressing concerns about their safety in the community. They sought to be remanded to prisons near their homes in Bukwo District for easier access by their relatives. Chief Magistrate Kasibayo dismissed their request, citing insufficient grounds for a transfer to their home district. Considering the issue of safety, the suspects were remanded to Hoima Prison as an alternative, proposed by Akello.
The murder, which occurred on January 7, 2024, at Dr. Abiriga’s residence in Kijura North, Central Division, Masindi, was revealed to be a premeditated act with a sinister plot. The police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, disclosed that the widow, Betty Cherotic, allegedly orchestrated the murder, hiring contract killers due to marital discord, jealousy, and suspicions of infidelity.
The investigation, conducted by the Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) in collaboration with regional Police teams and the Flying Squad, uncovered a multi-stage plot rooted in Cherotic’s knowledge of her husband’s relationship with another woman named Susan Atuhura in Masindi.
Cherotic initially planned to eliminate Atuhura, but when the attempts failed, she shifted her focus to Dr. Abiriga, accusing him of various grievances. The hired contract killers, Kipisang Martin and Joshua Namureng, made multiple unsuccessful attempts before succeeding on January 6, 2024. The suspects cleaned the crime scene, dressed the deceased in new clothing, and disposed of incriminating evidence.
The investigation included crime scene reconstruction, recovery of exhibits, and forensic analysis of samples. The suspects left Masindi Municipality on January 7, 2024, for Bukwo after disposing of bloodstained clothes in a pit latrine.
