Judgment in Mamerito murder case set for October

By Farooq  Kasule

THE Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court has set October 26 to deliver its ruling in the case where five Kasokoso local leaders are accused of attempting to murder Mamerito Mugerwa.

The leaders include a councilor in Kireka Zone ‘C’ David Ssekiziyivu, an LC 1 chairman of Kasokoso village, David Mugalya, Hajji Musa Sewagudde, Jude Kaboggoza and Local Council secretary for mobilization in Kasokoso land affairs, Umar Muyanja.

It is alleged that the accused and others still at large on November 5, 2014 at Kasokoso Village, Kireka Parish in Kira Town Council unlawfully attempted to cause his death.

Presiding over the matter, the Nakawa chief magistrate Flavia Nassuna said that having carefully scrutinised the evidence adduced by seven prosecution witnesses, it is clear that the accused masterminded the act.

“Therefore, I found you with a case to answer.” Nassuna said

Nassuna added that it is very clear that the accused made utterances against him in the way that incited the residents to attack him and that if it was not for police efforts to rescue him, he could have lost life in the scuffle.

She later informed the accused that they had three options to select in giving their defence by either taking an oath, keeping quiet or defend themselves without swearing.

“You may even call your witnesses” Nassuna told the accused.

However, the defence lawyer Asuman Basalirwa immediately stood up and informed court that his clients have decided to keep quiet.

The court heard that on the fateful day, Ssewagudde shouted ‘an enemy has come’ and Muyanja responded with ‘kill it’.

Then Kaboggoza joined by Mugalya hurled Mamerito to the ground and Ssekiziyivu hit him with a chair on the head before being rescued by police from the angry mob.

Mamerito who also doubles as the Kira town council mayor had gone to attend a meeting on the invitation of the then Kampala metropolitan police commander to devise means of solving the Kasokoso land wrangles.

However before taking his seat, the accused attacked him suspecting him of pushing for their eviction from the land by National Housing and Construction Company that had expressed its intention to clear the boundaries of the land in question.