A man in Ibanda District has been sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to kill his elderly mother and damaging her property. Fidel Kwasiima, a resident of Nyantsimbo Ward in Ishongororo Town Council, Ibanda North County, was found guilty by the Ishongororo Grade One Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Magistrate Fred Mutabazi.
Kwasiima, who is in his 40s, was convicted of two offenses: threatening to kill his mother, Magdalena Mbahita, and destroying her property. The court heard that the incidents occurred on September 5, 2024. The prosecution explained that Kwasiima had dug large holes in his mother’s house and repeatedly threatened to take her life. These actions violated Section 81(a) of the Penal Code Act, which covers threatening violence and can result in up to four years in prison. Additionally, Kwasiima was charged under Section 335(i) for maliciously damaging property, a crime punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
The 83-year-old Mbahita testified in court, stating that her son had made her life unbearable with his threats and destructive behavior. She told the court she had endured his threats for a long time and was unable to forgive him. “I pray that the court sentences him to three years in prison so that he learns his lesson, and I can have some peace at home,” Mbahita said during the hearing on October 16, 2024, at the Ibanda Chief Magistrate’s Court.
Despite his mother’s plea, Kwasiima appeared unrepentant throughout the trial. Magistrate Mutabazi expressed disappointment with Kwasiima’s behavior, criticizing him for mistreating his mother instead of caring for her. “Why did you make your mother go through all this? Why make her suffer?” Mutabazi asked during sentencing. “As the only son, you should be taking care of your elderly mother, but instead, you have made her life miserable.”
Kwasiima was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for each of the two offenses, with the sentences to run consecutively, resulting in a total of three years behind bars at Nyabuhikye Correctional Facility.
The court also noted that Kwasiima had shown no remorse for his actions and had wasted the court’s time by going through a full trial despite knowing he was guilty. The prosecution had requested a deterrent sentence to send a message to others who might mistreat their parents, and the court agreed, stating that Kwasiima’s punishment should serve as an example to others.
According to Ugandan law, threatening violence and malicious damage to property carry serious penalties, and those found guilty can face significant jail time, as demonstrated by Kwasiima’s sentencing.
