Court maintains 50-year jail term for man over brother’s murder

KAMPALA, (UG): The Court of Appeal in Kampala has maintained a 50-year jail sentence for a man found guilty of murdering his brother.

Justice Rugadya Atwooki, on January 14, 2014, found Mr Sperito Ssemaganda guilty of murdering his brother Lozio Kayizzi, which earned him a 50-year jail sentence.

Mr Ssemaganda did not take the verdict very well hence challenging the conviction and his sentence. He based his challenge on the grounds that he felt the trial judge failed to properly evaluate the evidence before convicting him, and that he got a harsh sentence.

However, though, three justices of the appellate court led by Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera looked at the case again. They then ruled that Ssemaganda’s appeal lacked merits and upheld both his conviction and sentence.

“From the record, the accused persons not only stabbed the victim resulting in the intestines coming out of his body but went ahead to cut the said intestines which is ruthless in the extreme,” Justice Buteera ruled.

They also said that the trial judge did not fault any sentencing principles. He consequently ordered Ssemaganda to serve his sentence.

Ssemaganda and one other colleague were indicted on murder charges, tried and convicted by the Luwero High Court.

They were both sentenced to 50 years in prison. Court documents reveal that on March 28, 2011, while at Maya village in Luwero, the duo murdered Lozio Kayizzi.