The High Court in Kampala has handed down a life sentence to Copriyam Kasolo and Johnson Lubega, also known as Manomano, for their involvement in the abduction and murder of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa, in 2019.
Justice Isaac Muwata, who presided over the case, confirmed that the state prosecutor effectively demonstrated Kasolo and Lubega’s active participation in the abducting and killing of Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa.
The judge stated that a life sentence was an appropriate measure to protect society from these two convicts’ actions. He emphasized that the motivation for their crimes was primarily financial gain, and the murder was brutal and horrifying, making it impossible to compensate for the loss of the victims’ lives. However, it was essential to deter others from committing similar crimes.
Justice Muwata also sentenced Sharif Mpanga, Nassif Kalyango (also known as Muwonge), and Hassan Kisekka to 30 years in prison. He noted that none of these convicts had distanced themselves from the incident or reported the crime to the police. Instead, they went into hiding until their arrest. The judge ruled that they all bear responsibility for the crime.
Sadat Katerega, one of the co-accused, was acquitted of the murder charges due to a lack of evidence.
Justice Muwata informed all the convicts that they have the option to appeal against their convictions or sentences within 14 days in the Court of Appeal.
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