By Stuart Yiga
High Court judge Isaac Muwata has convicted Isaac Ssenabulya alias Kisunsu after his own plea of guilty for the kidnap and double murder of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa.
The duo was kidnapped and later murdered in February 2019.
Upon his conviction, Ssenabulya pleaded to the presiding judge for a lenient sentence.
However, the prosecution insists he should be given a maximum death sentence to deter other would-be offenders from ending the lives of innocent Ugandans.
Ssenabulya also apologised to the families of the deceased for the brutal act he inflicted on their people.
Meanwhile, prosecution dropped murder charges against the eighth suspect identified as Raymond Okori Marckos.
Background
Nagirinya, a former employee of Community Integrated Development Initiative, was kidnapped from the gate of her Lungujja-based rented home and later murdered.
Her body was later recovered on the Mukono-Kayunga road at Nakitutulu village in Nama sub-county, Mukono district.
Investigations indicated that she was kidnapped at about 11:40pm by two men, who trailed her as she returned from her workplace.
The Closed-Circuit Cameras footage, which the Police released, indicated that the perpetrators used Nagirinya’s vehicle, a Toyota Spacio registration number UBA 570V, to whisk her away moments after her younger sister had just opened the gate.
The Police said the cameras captured the images from Kinawataka, but later recovered the vehicle in Kitooro Zone on Marckay Road in Nateete, Rubaga division, Kampala where it had been abandoned.
Nagirinya was the daughter of Anthony Lubowa, a resident of Nsambya, in Makindye division. He said the kidnappers did not ask for ransom from any of the family members, which indicated all they wanted was her life.
This was the second kidnap incident that turned into murder after the one of Susan Magara, 28, who was also a resident of Lungujja in Lubaga division, Kampala.
Magara’s kidnappers bagged sh700m ransom, but went ahead to end her life after undergoing three weeks of torture.
