Court upholds 12-year jail term for Mozey Radio’s killer
Godfrey Wamala alias Troy in the dock at Entebbe High Court which found him guilty of manslaughter over his involvement in the death of singer Moses Sekibogo who was popularly known as Mowzey Radio (inset) . PHOTO BY EVE MUGANGA
What you need to know:
A panel of three justices — Christopher Gashirabake, Dr Asa Mugenyi, and John Mike Musisi, dismissed Wamala’s appeal in its entirety, ruling that the trial court had rightly convicted him of manslaughter based on sufficient and credible evidence
The Court of Appeal has upheld the 12-year and three-month prison sentence handed to Godfrey Wamala, alias Troy, for the killing of celebrated Ugandan musician Moses Ssekibogo, popularly known as Mozey Radio.
A panel of three justices — Christopher Gashirabake, Dr Asa Mugenyi, and John Mike Musisi, dismissed Wamala’s appeal in its entirety, ruling that the trial court had rightly convicted him of manslaughter based on sufficient and credible evidence.
Wamala had asked the court to overturn both the conviction and sentence, citing contradictions in the prosecution’s case and arguing that the original 14-year sentence later reduced to 12 years, three months, and four days due to time spent on remand was excessively harsh.
Radio, a founding member of the Goodlyfe Crew, suffered fatal head injuries after being violently slammed to the ground by Wamala during a bar brawl at De Bar in Entebbe on January 22, 2018. He succumbed to the injuries days later at Case Clinic in Kampala.
In its judgment, the Court of Appeal found that two key eyewitnesses, Pamela Musimire (PW2) and David Otim a.k.a. Washington (PW1), had clearly and consistently identified Wamala as the assailant.
“The appellant was properly identified by PW1 as being the one who assaulted the deceased,” the justices ruled. “We respectfully disagree with the assessors. We find that this ingredient causation of death has been proved beyond reasonable doubt.”
The judges also dismissed Wamala’s claim that lighting conditions inside the bar were too poor to allow proper identification.
“Contradictions as to whether the source of light was a bulb or a fluorescent tube are immaterial… all witnesses agreed there was ample lighting,” the ruling stated.
The court further noted that Wamala had admitted being present at the scene and that his flight from the scene abandoning his belongings and going into hiding was behavior consistent with guilt.
“His sudden disappearance from the area is incompatible with innocent conduct,” the judges observed.
Wamala’s lawyer had also argued for a more lenient sentence, proposing a five-year term and citing precedents such as Uganda v Kamyuka Ivan and Elungat Grace Naptal v Uganda. But the justices ruled that the gravity of the injuries and the circumstances of the assault warranted a tougher sentence.
“The degree of injury inflicted, especially to the head, and the fact that the deceased was thrown onto a concrete floor causing severe internal damage, justified a heavier sentence,” the ruling read. “The sentence of 12 years, three months and four days is not manifestly harsh or excessive. It aligns with sentencing in similar cases.”
The appeal, filed under Criminal Appeal No. 361 of 2019, brings to a close the high-profile case that has gripped the nation since 2018. Mozey Radio’s death stunned Uganda’s music industry and left fans in mourning. For many, the judgment brings a long-awaited sense of justice.
