The Division Court Martial sitting in Rubirizi District has sentenced to 101 years in prison a UPDF soldier after being found guilty of shooting dead three people and injuring three others.
On December 27, 2020, Pte Bobson Amutuhereize attached to the 27th battalion in Rubirizi district shot to death three people including Scovia Tibakazire Bembereza, 40, Olivia Ninsiima, 25, and Conrad Mayi, 20, all residents of Nkondo village.
The injured were identified as Maureen Kyakusiimire, 23 who was shot in the stomach and the intestines came out; Rauhman Mawegye, 3, was shot in the head and brains came out and Shiran Ahimbisibwe, 9, who was shot in the thigh and the bullet is still stuck in the bone.
Yesterday, the soldier pleaded guilty to the charges telling the army court that he was not sober by the time he committed the gruesome murder that saw him use 117 of the 120 rounds of ammunition that he had earlier signed for the gun on the fateful day.
Presiding over the court that sat at Mubanda Primary School in Ryeru sub-county, Rubirizi district, Lt Col. Emmanuel Mwesigwa, found the junior officer guilty of the offence and sentenced him to 101 years for each of the three counts of murder.
However, the Division Court Martial chairman said the punishments will run concurrently.
If Amutuhereize does not appeal against the sentence in 14 days from the date of the sentence, it that means he will serve 101 years in prison.
In the two-day sitting, court heard that Amutuhereize shot six people with three dying on spot while three others are currently admitted at International Hospital Kampala and Mbarara regional referral hospital in critical condition.
In the mitigation, Pte Amutuhereize told court that he had been attacked by demons before he went on rampage.
He had pleaded for a leniency but court said he needed a deterrent sentence to discourage other soldiers from committing such offences.
“You have a right to appeal against the decision of this court martial before the General Court Martial if you’re not satisfied in the next 14 days,” Lt. Col Mwesigwa said before Private Amutuhereize was led away to Kyamugolanyi government prison to start serving his sentence.
The army court martial was set up under the UPDF Act of 2005.
Previous UPDF murder sentences
In November last year, the UPDF Mountain Division Court Martial sitting at Muhoti barracks in Fort Portal sentenced Pte Paul Lotukei to 90 years imprisonment for shooting dead two civilians including a 26-year-old woman and her children at Valley II Bar and Lodge at Kyakasinga trading centre, Nyaumba town council after an argument over a mobile phone in a bar.
Lotukei was attached to Bukara army detach, 06 Mountain Battalion 222 Mountain Brigade was convicted of shooting dead
Earlier, in September, the UPDF general headquarters Division Court Martial (DCM) that sat at the Marine Brigade Headquarters in Buliisa district sentenced Pte Cephas Rubagumya to 90 years imprisonment for murdering his commander.
