Two fishermen sentenced to 50 years in prison over murder

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High court in Mukono has sentenced two fishermen from Kayunga district to 50 years in Luzira prison for murdering their colleagues. Justice Margret Mutonyi delivered the verdict when she found Francis Zarika and James Kirimunda guilty of murdering Robert Kibi and Bete Mugerima, following a misunderstanding over fishing territories on Lake Kyoga.

The prosecution told the court that while in Kambatani village in Galilaya sub-county, Kayunga district sometime in 2015, the convicts beat their colleagues to death and dumped their bodies in Lake Kyoga. They appeared together with Richard Ariko who earned himself 7 years in jail for being an accessory to the murders.

State Attorney George Bigira told the court that Ariko obstructed justice when he chose to keep quiet about the murders instead of reporting them to the police. He submitted overwhelming evidence against the accused persons and asked the court to give them the maximum penalty of death.

However, the defence lawyer Emmanuel Turyomwe objected to the prayer and instead prayed for a lenient sentence of 7 years. After studying the evidence carefully, Justice Mutonyi declined the state request, saying that the death penalty will not be effective as the president takes long to sign the death sentence.

She also rejected the defence lawyer’s request to give his clients lenient sentences, saying that ever since the case started, she had never seen the accused being remorseful for their crime. She then sentenced them to 50 years. The convicts will serve 43 years in jail taking into account the 7 years they spent on remand. She advised Ariko, who has spent almost seven years in jail to apply for his release once he completes his seventh year.

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