Four people have been convicted and sentenced for robbing and killing Case Clinic accountant Francis Ekalunga in 2018.
The key convict in this trial Muzamiru Mawa has been sentenced to Life in Prison, with Resty Gorreti Nalunga, Yiga Deo, and Huzairu Kiwalabye getting 5 years,7 years, and 25 years respectively minus their remand time.
The four have been on remand for 3 years and 8months which means Nalunga, Yiga and Kiwalabye will serve an additional 1 year 4 months, 3 years 4 months, and 21 years 4 months respectively in Prison.
Justice Yasin Nyanzi ruled that torture of suspects should be a mitigating factor while delivering judgments, and it has been crucial in determining sentences for Yiga Deo and Huzairu Kiwalabye.
The judge added that the sentences have been tailored according to the circumstances surrounding each of the convict’s participation in the murder and robbery, thus finding that Nalunga was misled into playing spy on the deceased.
The judge also noted that their innocent participation in these unlawful actions led to the kidnap, robbery, killing, and burning of Ekalunga’s dead body beyond recognition, thus remain accessories in the crimes.
According to the evidence before the court which includes exhibits, telephone records, Global Positioning System(GPS) data, an autopsy report, and testimonies of investigators and the widow was enough to satisfy ingredients of the matter after placing the accused persons on the scene of crime.
Christine Nabwire, widow to the late Francis Ekalunga while speaking to us in an interview said with relief that “finally justice has prevailed and my husband will rest peacefully.”
“It’s for God to decide who dies, therefore we were not looking for a death sentence, the pain is now eased.”
However, other people who have been cited in the orchestration of Ekalunga’s murder remain at large including one Musa Ssewankambo, infamous Bodaboda 2010 boss Abdallah Kitata and one Hardware proprietor Known as Pascal.