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As witnesses turned up to testify against Sekibaala, he applied for a plea bargain in exchange for a lenient sentence
Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High Court in Luwero has sentenced a former priest to serve 12 years in jail for killing his wife.
Reverend David Sekibaala of Luwero Anglican Diocese was sentenced after being convicted of killing his wife Deborah Nakalema in 2020. The deceased was the headteacher of Kikamulo Church of Uganda Primary School in Nakaseke district.
Sekibaala aged 62 years by then strangled the wife and later set the body on fire inside the house. He later ran to his brother where he reported the death of his wife and blamed it on a bomb explosion in their house before he fled to evade arrest.
The body of Nakalema was found burnt on the following day at their marital home in Kavule zone in Luwero town council.
Police later arrested Sekibaala and presented him to Court where he was charged with murder of his wife. Since then he has been on remand in Nakasongola prison.
According to the prosecution led by Peace Bashabe the Luwero Chief Resident State Attorney on 8th November 2020, Sekibaala murdered his wife Nakalema contrary to sections 171 and 172 of the penal code act cap 128. Sekibaala however denied the murder charge.
The prosecution told the court that they were ready to proceed with the case and listed children, the LCI Chairman and Police detectives among others witnesses in the case.
However as witnesses turned up to testify against Sekibaala, he applied for a plea bargain in exchange for a lenient sentence.
Sekibaala pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife before Luwero High Court Judge Henrietta Wolayo.
The children told Justice Wolayo that they had forgiven their father since he had accepted the offence.
Justice Wolayo sentenced Sekibaala to serve 12 years in jail saying that he was in advanced age, remorseful and didn’t waste court time.
She ordered the prison authorities to deduct the time Sekibaala had been on remand since 19th November 2020.
Sekibaala will now spend another seven years and 11 months in jail after the time on remand is deducted by prison authorities. He will serve the sentence at Nakasongola prison.
Sekibaala was chaplain at Buzzibwera Secondary School but he retired early over alcoholism and repeatedly assaulting his wife.
The couple had been involved in a domestic dispute that priests at St. Mark Cathedral tried to settle in vain.
Cases of domestic violence are rampant in Luwero district. According to the crime report, 534 cases of domestic violence were reported to Police Stations within the Luwero district in 2023 and ranked with the highest cases across the country.
According to the Police reports, the cases of domestic violence in the district have been rising from 106 cases reported in 2019, 114 cases in 2020, 341 cases in 2021 and 501 cases in 2022.
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