36-year-old Private Lotukei Paul, a UPDF soldier attached to Bukara army detach has been sentenced to 90 years in prison by the Mountain Division Court Martial Sitting at Muhoti Barracks in Fortportal, after being found guilty of two counts of murder.
Court heard that on October 30 2020 at about 8:00pm, Private Lotukei with malice, unlawfully and intentionally shot and killed Nayebale Pamela (26 years) and her infant son Kusemererwa Owen (9 months) after developing an argument with the former over a mobile phone in a bar at Kitumba Village, Nyakigumba Town council in Bunyangabu District.
While passing the sentence, court Chairman Lt Col Felix Nyero said “basing on the gravity of the offence committed and the evidence produced by prosecution, the sentence is appropriate and this should serve as a lesson to others. UPDF is a people’s army that has zero tolerance to criminality”.
Despite the accused pleading not guilty to the offence, prosecution guided by Mountain Division legal officer and judge advocate Captain Ivan Nabireeba produced all evidence to prove the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt and basing on that, the state lawyer Lieutenant Gabriel U Mavenjina asked court to give a maximum sentence to the accused.
Defence lawyer Lieutenant George W Kabanda requested court for a lenient sentence for his client since he is a first time offender that has a big family of 5 wives and 18 children, and it was not his intention to kill. He also said that he was simply provoked since he was under the influence of alcohol and was therefore not in his full senses.
Court Chairman advised the convict to appeal against the ruling within 14 days in case he is not satisfied with the judgement.