Prosecution led by State Attorney Charlotte Nanziri told court that the widow masterminded the murder after discovering her husband’s affair with another woman.
Masindi, Uganda: The High Court in Masindi has sentenced Dr. Jino Abiriga’s widow and her two accomplices to 33 years in prison each for the brutal murder of the former Acting District Health Officer.
The trio, Betty Cherotich, 31, alongside Martin Kipsang, 31, and Joshua Namurenge, 36, were convicted on Tuesday, September 23, after pleading guilty to murder charges earlier this month before Resident Judge Lady Justice Mary Babirye.
Prosecution led by State Attorney Charlotte Nanziri told court that Cherotich masterminded the murder after discovering her husband’s affair with another woman in December 2023. She allegedly contacted Kipsang on December 23, 2023, offering him UGX 2.5 million to kill her husband.
Kipsang later recruited Namurenge, and the two travelled from Bukwo District to Masindi on January 5, 2024, to execute the plan.
Court heard that on January 6, Cherotich provided the killers with access to the family home, guiding them to Dr. Abiriga’s bedroom. Armed with hoe handles purchased earlier, Kipsang struck the deceased before the trio slit his throat.
They later dressed the body, carried it out on a ladder, and dumped it under a mango tree just 50 metres from the house.
Lady Justice Babirye noted that phone records corroborated communications between Cherotich and the killers. After the murder, the duo dumped their blood-stained clothes in a pit latrine at Valentine Guest House and fled back to Bukwo, where they were later tracked down and arrested.
In her ruling, Justice Babirye described the killing as “heinous and inexcusable,” emphasising Dr. Abiriga’s role as a respected medical officer who served his community with integrity. She said the crime warranted a maximum sentence of 45 years, but reduced it to 33 years, three months, and 23 days because the convicts pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.
“The maximum sentence in this case would be 35 years, but considering other aggravated factors, it goes up to 45 years. However, after considering that the three pleaded guilty and were remorseful, I now reduce the sentence,” she ruled.
The convicts, in their mitigation, asked for forgiveness, with Cherotich admitting she contracted the two men out of rage after discovering her husband’s affair. She pleaded with the court to consider her role as a mother now left to look after their children.
Justice Babirye advised that the convicts retain the right to appeal the sentence within 30 days.
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