Luzira shooting: Court Martial begins hearing

previous army shootings

2012. The Court Martial in Moroto Army Barracks handed a 45-year jail sentence to Paul Auda, a Local Defence Unit officer after he was found guilty of murdering two civilians in Nakapiripirit District.

March 2011. Corporal John Ouma was sentenced to death after the court convicted him of shooting dead Lance Corporal Dennis Aule.
2011. Aloysius Emudong was handed a death penalty after being found guilty of gunning down Ahmed Zaidi, a civilian.

In September 2010. The Court Martial convicted and sentenced to death Chuba Lochieng after finding him guilty of shooting to death the son of a former army chief of staff,Brigadier Nakibus Lakara, in an ambush on Kotido-Abim Road.
In 2003. Two UPDF soldiers in Karamoja sub-region were publicly tried, found guilty and executed by firing squad after being found guilty of killing an Irish priest Fr. Declan O`toole.

Hearing of a case in which Lance Corporal Herbert Rwakihembo, a member of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) is accused of shooting three people dead and severely injuring begins today, the army has said.

“The trial of L/CPL Rwakihembo for the alleged murder of three women and injuring a man on December 10, 2012 in Kisenyi Zone 3, Luzira Parish commences on Monday Jan 14, 2013 at 9am at Luzira Church of Uganda Primary School on Butabika Road,” Col. Felix Kulayigye, the Army spokesperson, said in an email to the Daily Monitor yesterday.

Cpl Rwakihembo of the Military Police, had recently returned from the peacekeeping mission in Somalia. He is facing charges of allegedly killing his fiancée Irene Namuyaba, Royce Kawendeke and Nalongo Zaina Nassolo, and also seriously injuring Mr Ali Bavawala.

He was arrested the following day after the incident and has since been in custody. It is believed that before committing the ‘crime of passion’, the suspect had accused his fiancée of being unfaithful and wasting money he had sent home during his stay in Somalia.

Rampant incidents
Criminal acts by security personnel against civilians have been rampant, with some 657 cases investigated by police last year, 106 of which were committed by soldiers.

The Annual Crime and Traffic report, 2011 shows that security personnel killed 40 people and attempted to kill 15 others, most of the recorded cases involving love affairs.

This public trial of a UPDF soldier will not be the first of its kind. Previously soldiers, who murdered civilians, have faced the same or related fates.