Mpigi High Court has sentenced Christopher Damulira, a boda boda rider and a resident of Kanoni in Gomba District to 30 years in prison after being found guilty of raping a 17-year-old passenger.
According to Lady Justice Winifred Nabisinde who presided over the court session, Damulira wasted court’s time by pleading not guilty and so deserves a long sentence.
Lady Justice Nabisinde said the act of raping a passenger breached trust people have in operators of boda bodas and gives a bad impression to many good boda boda operators.
“When the victim appeared before court and narrated the evil things that happened to her, Damulira seemed unbothered and insisted that he hadnot committed the crime. That experience alone was torture to the victim. He further wasted court’s time and government resources only to plead guilty at the last minute,” Lady Justice Nabisinde said.
According to prosecution, in 2018 Damulira was hired by the victim to take her to her home several miles from Kanoni town. Along the way, the convict pretended that his motorbike had run out of fuel in the middle of a forest.
Damulira tried to seduce his victim to have sex with him but he was turned down. He later wrestled her to the ground, tore her knickers and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her.
Rape carries a maximum penalty of death by hanging.
