The High Court in Kampala has sentenced Copriyam Kasolo and Johnson Lubega alias Manomano, to life imprisonment for their roles in the abduction and murder of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa, in 2019.
Justice Isaac Muwata, who presided over the case, affirmed that the state prosecutor convincingly demonstrated the active participation of Kasolo and Lubega in the heinous crimes of abducting and murdering Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa.
The judge stated that life sentence was an appropriate measure to safeguard society from the actions of these two convicts.
He noted, “There are no clear explanations for why they committed these offenses, aside from the motivation to acquire money. The murder was brutal and horrifying, and no amount of punishment can compensate for the loss of the victims’ lives. However, there is a need to deter others from committing similar crimes.”
Justice Muwata also sentenced Sharif Mpanga, Nassif Kalyango (also known as Muwonge), and Hassan Kisekka to 30 years in prison.
In his ruling, Justice Muwata highlighted that none of the convicts had distanced themselves from the incident or reported the crime to the police. Instead, they went into hiding until their arrest.
The judge ruled, “They were in direct communication throughout the time, as evidenced in the call data. They all bear responsibility for the crime.”
One of the co-accused, Sadat Katerega, was acquitted of the murder charges, as the judge said that there was no evidence to pin him.
Justice Muwata informed all the convicts that they have the option to appeal against their convictions or sentences within 14 days in the Court of Appeal.
