BY MATHIUS KAHUNGU
At least 11 people from Kigoro village in Rukoki Sub-county, Kasese District are at a risk of serving a two- year prison sentence should they fail to pay shillings 150 million as compensation for maliciously damaging property, arson and incitement of violence.
The same people are expected to pay shillings 3 million each as a court fine after being found guilty of the mentioned charges.
The Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting on Wednesday afternoon and presided over by the Kasese Chief Magistrate, His Worship George Mfitundinda heard that in early 2020, while at Kigoro village, Sele Mukimbwa and other 10 co-accused persons destroyed several properties belonging to Mr. Geoffrey Bwambale Kikama, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO) for Rukoki Sub-county.
The convicts suspected the GISO to have participated in the killing of his young biological brother, Augustine Masereka Kikama.
Kikama, the GISO was arrested and charged with murder but the charges were later dropped from him by the Kasese High Court after the State’s failure to present sufficient evidence.
However, while it was reported that while he was still on bail, he petitioned court, accusing the now convicts some of whom include his relatives and neighbours of allegedly destroying his property and tarnishing his name in front of the rightful audience.
According to prosecution evidence, the property that was destroyed included an acre of coffee plantation, an acre of vanilla and banana plantations respectively, a garden of beans and killed his goats.
Court also found that the convicts set ablaze the GISO’s residential house and another that was under construction, his maize milling machine and a government motorcycle.
The accused persons were also found guilty of inciting violence against the person of the GISO and injured his reputation in public.
On Wednesday, the accused persons re-appeared before court to receive the judgement of the cases slapped against them.
They were found guilty of the charges and convicted accordingly.
Prosecution side led by Learned Counsel Godfrey Oundo prayed court to order for compensation to the plaintiff alongside a custodial sentence, arguing that the convicts did not apologize to the GISO, injured his reputation in the public and burnt a government motorcycle as well as damaging his personal property.
Defense Counsel Geoffrey Sibendire Bigogo asked for lenience in sentencing his clients, pleading that they were first time offenders, some held positions of responsibility and are of advanced age.
He added that the circumstances that led to the committal of the crimes were not planned and spontaneous following accusations that the plaintiff had allegedly killed his own brother and the whole village reacted with malice a forethought.
Bigogo then prayed for a non-custodial sentence to his clients but court instead ordered them to pay 150 million shillings as compensation to the complainant and 3 million each as court fine.
It then gave them a period of one month and on default they would concurrently serve a prison sentence of two years at Mubuku Farm Government Prison.
The same Court fined Neverless Ithungu (30), a resident of Kirembe -Kyababinga Cell shillings 300,000 for pleading guilty of having committed a rash and negligent act that resulted into the death of her own 8- month child. ENDS