82-year-old woman gets 15-years in jail over murder of grandchild

KAMPALA-
For participating in the ritual murder of her granddaughter, an 82-year-old woman has been sentenced to 15-years in jail by High Court in Kampala.

Hanifa Namuyanja was convicted alongside her grandson, Hussein Lukenge, 29, for the murder of one Shamim Nalwoga, 21.
“This court takes into account the three years the convicts have spent on remand in Luzira prison, Lukenge is hereby sentenced to 32-years in jail and for, A1(accused one) Namuyanja, court as well takes into account the fact that she is of advanced age and sentences her to 15-years,”held Justice Joseph Murangira while delivering the verdict.

Justice Murangira said that the convicts deserve a custodial sentence since the way they murdered their victim is one of the rarest cases as they have never revealed to court where they put the body parts they cut off from the deceased.
“Medical evidence, revealed that the private parts, large and small intestines, tongue, and the eyes were missing, from Nalwoga’s body. This is a sign that she was tortured and brutally murdered,” Justice Murangira said.

He added: “But, even after delivering the judgment the convicts appeared unbothered. This shows that they are not remorseful.”
Justice Murangira, however urged the convicts to appeal against their sentence within fourteen days if they are not satisfied with his judgment.
On Wednesday, court found the duo guilty basing on evidence from eight prosecution witnesses who testified linking them to the offence. These witnesses stated that deceased’s decomposing body was recovered from Namuyanja’s house three days after her death.

According to the judgment, it indicated that police exhibits which included paraffin and soil that the convicts were feeding the deceased on, asserting that it would cure the disability she had were recovered from the Namuyanja’s house at Kibalama Zone in Lukuli-Makindye, a Kampala suburb linking her directly to the crime. One of Nalwoga’s arms and leg were crippled.
This document as well noted that the shirt that was stained with the blood from the deceased, and was recovered from Lukenge’s house, as well linked him to the murder; it presented before court as an exhibit.

Furthermore Lukenge, a half-brother to the deceased, was also linked to the murder because of the calls he made to Mr Mahammed Sewuwemba, the father of the deceased, assuring him that his daughter was in good hands and would be returned home in four days cured from the disability.
On December 17, 2012, Mr Sewuwemba received a call from one Ms Hadijja Nasaka, a traditional healer currently on the run, informing him that his daughter (Nalwoga) had died.

Ms Nasaka December 8, 2012, picked the deceased from her parents’ home and took her to her mother’s (Namuyanja) home at Kibalama Zone in Lukuli-Makindye, a Kampala suburb were her body was recovered.
The two convicts are part of other 30 capital offenders that were tried in a criminal session that opened up on August 26, 2015 at the Kampala High Court.

bndagire@ug.nationmedia.com