Police officer sentenced to 20 years for killing Ssebulime

A file photo of Corporal David Ssali (pictured) appearing before court for the murder of Ronald Ssebulime

The police officer who, in 2019, shot and killed motorcyclist Ronald Ssebulime who had been arrested for allegedly trailing the then ICT State minister, Idah Nantaba, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Corporal David Ssali was convicted of murder on his own plea of guilt after noticing overwhelming evidence against him from prosecution, police CID spokesperson, Mr Charles Twiine said Monday.

Ssebulime, 40, who was riding a motorbike, was arrested and handcuffed before being shot dead by police on March 24, 2019, on suspicion that he wanted to assassinate the Kayunga District Woman MP.

Corporal Ssali who is said to have directly shot Ssebulime was later arrested and arraigned at Mukono Magistrates Court where he was charged with murder. 

In the aftermath, Ms Nantaba and three police constables; Ronald Opira, Edward Cherotich and Ronald Baganza were also sued by Ssebulime’s family for their involvement in the shooting that claimed Ssebulime, a single father of two.

However, the DPP advised the police to try the police constables in the Police Disciplinary Unit instead since their commander, Corporal Ssali had confessed to the crime and a ballistic report proved that it was his gun that was used to kill Ssebulime.

DPP also withdrew murder charges against the minister.

Corporal Ssali who was attached to Naggalama police station was charged before grade one magistrate Mariam Nulugya in April and remanded to Luzira prison after he had reportedly recorded an extrajudicial statement in regards to the shooting. 
However, the rest of the officers were never charged, prompting Ssebulime’s family to petition the court to institute a private prosecution against Nantaba and the police officers on grounds that they were accomplices to the murder. 

Deceased: Ronald Ssebulime. PHOTO/ FILE/ COURTESY

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Through their lawyer Muwada Nkunyingi, the family alleged that they had evidence that Nantaba gave misleading information to the police officers who ended up taking Ssebulime’s life. 
Nantaba had reportedly tipped police that she was being trailed by two men riding a grey Suzuki sports bike registration number UDL 822A in a threatening manner. She reportedly said that the suspected assassins had trailed her for a distance of about 40 kilometres from Sezibwa Bridge up to Naggalama trading centre, prompting police to pursue them.  

However, on September 9, 2019, the then DPP Mike Chibita wrote to the Chief Magistrate’s court in Mukono to discontinue the trial against Ms Nantaba and the other officers.

Police spokesman Fred Enanga had earlier told journalists that Opira, Cherotich and Baganza, would be tried disciplinarily because they tried to conceal information on how Ssebulime had been killed by Ssali. He said the three could not face criminal trial for crimes committed by their senior.    

Ssebulime, a welder at Bulaga, nine kilometres on Mityana Road and at Ssemuto was arrested and killed on his way to St Andrew’s SS Kabimbiri to visit his children, according to his family.

Ssebulime lost his wife in 2013 due to post-maternal complications.