By Tegike Ashirafu
President Yoweri Museveni has threatened that governmet will petition court challenging the decision to give the murderers life imprisonment instead of death sentence.
Museveni made these remarks yesterday while presiding over the swearing in Ceremony of six new judges including Justice Gashirabake Christopher, Justice Chemutai Tom, Justice Tweyanze Lawrence, Justice Wagona Vincent, Justice Alice Komuhangi and Justice Nakacwa Florence, the IGG and deputy IGGs at State House Entebbe.
He noted that his government is going to summon the NRM caucus and if necessary they will put a referendum on such decision that can grant murderes freedom yet the victims can not get the same freedom
“We are going to work on this. I am going to summon the NRM caucus and if necessary, we put it to a referendum. With this provocation, people will take the law into their hands,” he said.
The President also protested the continued decision by the courts to grant bail to murder suspects saying bail is not a constitutional right and must not be used to provoke the public and reminded court that Uganda has not abolished death sentence to murderes
“For somebody to kill a person and you give them bail is provocation. It is abominable. I would like us to sure this ideological disagreement. This bail, what is the hurry? Who are you trying to please? Who said bail is a right? It is not in the Constitution”. Museveni noted.
Museveni who was referring to Mawa Muzamiru the ring-leader in the brutal murder of the Case Clinic accountant who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment and accomplices including his wife Resty Nalunga, Yiga Deo, and Huzailu Kiwalabye received five, seven, and 25 years imprisonment respectively revealed that these people conspired to kill the accountant, now one was given a life sentence, did the one they killed given life sentence? Was death Sentence abolished? He asked pledging that Case Clinic case will be appealed.
Further, he urged the judiciary to address what he termed as problem of ideological differences when passing judgement on criminal cases to render justice to the victims of these crimes and to avoid the breaking of the law with impunity.
” I am seeing an ideological problem between the way you are trained as lawyers and we the freedom fighters and then population. For somebody to kill a person and you give him bail that is provocation. Justice will lose meaning completely,” he said.
Museveni’s death penalty wishlist
The case of 43 year old Akello Christine who was murdered by her husband Alal Denis in Anai Ober Cell, Ober Ward in Lira City West. Alal was later killed by a mod using the same panga he used to kill his wife.
The case of Acucu in Karamoja who returned from jail after 10 years and found his wives married to other men and his cattle stolen. According to President museveni, hembarked on a cattle-raiding spree that resulted in counter attacks leaving hundreds dead.
He urged the office of the IGG led by Hon. Beti Kamya to step up the fight against corruption as the population is already fed up with the corrupt officials.
“People are fed up with corruption, this is not a difficult job for serious and honest people. Your offices are infiltrated, start by cleaning it up and link with the public to collect vital information. Be patient and connect with local people. CID doesn’t do its work, research people to not handle whistle blowers etc. Don’t frustrate them. The victims and their relatives are reliable allies in the fight against corruption. Link up with them,” he said.
President Yoweri Museveni also congratulated the young team of lawyers upon their appointments and noted that the 2 categories of officials sworn in which included justices, Judges and the IGG as well as her 2 deputies could do a lot to expedite the growth of the economy that has already recovered and expanded.
Meanwhile the Deputy Chief Justice Hon. Justice Richard Buteera who graced the ceremony The commended government and President Museveni for enhancing the Judiciary budget which was increased from 196 billion for the Financial Year 2020/2021 to 357 billion for the Financial Year 2021/2022.
“This increment will enable us go a long way in bringing justice nearer to the people of Uganda: our dream, in the medium term, is to bring justice to all the people of Uganda within a walkable distance,” he said.
Buteera said with the increased financial resources, the Human Resource challenge is to be addressed systematically each financial year starting this year with the recruitment plan of 2 Justices of the Supreme court, 14 Judges of the High Court, 10 Deputy Registrars among others.
Buteera noted that in a bid to extend services nearer to the people, the Judiciary has undertaken a number of construction projects meant for housing court premises.
The new IGG Ms. Beti Kamya pledged to offer motivational and inspirational leadership and said they will do the very best to ensure they deliver the mandate entrusted to them.
“We shall pay a lot of attention to prevention and not just running after cases,” she said.
Background
Mawa Muzamiru, the former driver of Case Clinic proprietor, Dr Ssebale Kato, was jailed for life after court finds him guilty of murdering case Clinic accountant Francis Ekalungar on January 2, 2018.
His accomplices including his wife Resty Nalunga, Yiga Deo, and Huzailu Kiwalabye received five, seven, and 25 years imprisonment respectively.
While sentencing the four, presiding judge, Yasin Nyanzi, disagreed with State Attorney Ramlah Damba, who had asked for the maximum punishment of a death sentence, reasoning that upon murdering Ekalungar, they went ahead to burn his body beyond recognition.
“In this case, death occurred as a result of a robbery. Both robbery and death occurred when the convicts were working as a group. Nevertheless, I don’t agree that this case is one of the rarest of rare to impose the death sentence,” Justice Yasin Nyanzi revealed
The judge observed that although Mawa pleaded guilty on his own plea, the same good gesture did not erase the other ingredients of the crime from the kidnap to robbery, murder, and mistreatment of the dead by burning?
