KIBOGA, Uganda — The High Court has sentenced prison warder Anguyo Moses to death after convicting him of four counts of murder in a case arising from the killing of four people in Kiboga.
The death sentence was secured by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), with the prosecution led by Dr Daisy Nabasitu, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, and Stephen Ariong, Senior State Attorney.
Trial Judge Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga also sentenced Anguyo to two years’ imprisonment on each of two counts of aggravated robbery and three years for one count of threatening violence.
He was further ordered to compensate the victims UGX35,000 for stolen trousers and UGX25,000 for an Arsenal jersey.
In determining the sentence, the court considered both aggravating and mitigating circumstances but found that the aggravating factors substantially outweighed those in Anguyo’s favour.
Among the aggravating circumstances was the killing of four people, including two public servants who were carrying out their duties and a one-and-a-half-year-old child.
The court also considered the use of an AK-47 rifle during the offences and found that some of the victims had been targeted on the basis of their tribal identity.
Justice Kajuga further cited Anguyo’s position as a trained prison officer, saying he had breached the trust placed in him as a public servant entrusted with a firearm.
The killings also had a devastating impact on the victims’ families, with the court noting that six children were left orphaned.
One of the deceased, identified as Ayebare, was an architect whose death deprived the country of a productive citizen, the court observed.
The court nevertheless considered several mitigating factors, including the absence of evidence of premeditation, Anguyo’s guilty plea, his youth and expression of remorse.
His willingness to compensate the victims of the aggravated robbery and his apology to the public were also taken into account.
Despite these factors, the court concluded that they could not outweigh the seriousness of the offences and their consequences.
The Office of the DPP described the sentence as a reminder of the gravity with which the law treats the unlawful taking of human life and violent criminal conduct.
The DPP also expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased, saying the outcome demonstrated the commitment of the prosecution, police and Judiciary to holding perpetrators of grave crimes accountable and securing justice for victims and their families.
The case was prosecuted by Dr Nabasitu and Ariong on behalf of the DPP.
The death sentence remains subject to Uganda’s applicable appellate and legal processes.