A 44-year-old blind man, Ivan Birungi, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a 15-year-old girl he had employed as a maid.
The sentence was handed down by Mukono District Court Judge Paul Matyama following Birungi’s conviction for offences committed in February 2026, between the 2nd and 3rd.
Court heard that Birungi had recruited the teenage girl from her village to help with chores and accompany him while begging for assistance. During the trial, evidence showed that Birungi had communicated with the girl by phone in a female voice, misleading her to believe she would be working for a woman in Kampala.
Prosecution lawyer Josephine Nanyonga had urged the court to impose a 14-year sentence, citing the severity of the crime. However, Judge Matyama took into account mitigating factors, including Birungi’s age, blindness, and first-time involvement in criminal activity, before reducing the sentence to seven years.
The judge also ruled that the 12 days Birungi spent on remand would count toward his sentence, leaving him with six years, 11 months, and 18 days to serve.
Birungi pleaded for forgiveness, claiming he could not ascertain the girl’s age due to his blindness. The court, however, emphasized that the offence was serious and warranted imprisonment. Judge Matyama reminded him of his right to appeal the sentence if dissatisfied.