Joseph Sserubiri, the lead pastor of Deliverance and Healing Ministry Church in Kakira town, has been handed a life imprisonment sentence by the High Court in Jinja city.
He pleaded guilty to sacrificing his landlord’s 4-year-old daughter.
Sserubiri, along with his girlfriend Felista Namaganda, stands accused of abducting Isabella Trinity Nasikuyu, their landlord’s young daughter, and sacrificing her.
The victim, Isabella Trinity Nasikuyu, was a daughter of John Mulodi and Annet Nakisasa, both residents of Kakira town.
Both the pastor and his girlfriend were arrested following the incident in September 2021. The duo led the police to the shores of Lake Victoria where they had buried the body. A knife and tarpaulin were recovered.
According to court records, Sserubiri admitted to the heinous act during his trial. He justified the child’s sacrifice as a means to attain financial gains and expand his church.
Justice Winfred Nabisinde, presiding over the case, pronounced the life sentence upon Joseph Sserubiri. Her decision, she stated, was intended to send a clear message that such actions cannot be tolerated in society.
She also clarified that while the pastor had the right to appeal the sentence, the judgment itself could not be appealed.