Makerere students sent to High Court for murder
Nov 16, 2015
THE three Makerere University students have been committed to High Court to face trial for allegedly beating a Computer Science graduate David Otim Ojok to death
By Farooq Kasule
THE Buganda Road Chief Magistrate's Court has committed three Makerere University students to High Court to face trial for allegedly beating a Computer Science graduate David Otim Ojok to death after they mistook him for a thief.
Buganda Road Court Grade one magistrate Esther Nahirya committed the trio after the state prosecutor Esther Nalungi submitted to court that investigations into the matter were complete.
"Your worship, the investigations are complete and committal papers have been prepared with a purpose of sending the accused persons to High Court for trial. We therefore pray that the trio be committed to High Court to face trial," Nahirya requested court.
The accused include: the Nkrumah Hall chairman designate Marvin Mutungi, Martin Atukwase and Derrick Wagooli, all were second year students pursuing bachelor's degrees in Civil engineering, Software engineering and computer science respectively.
The trio was arrested on April 14 this year and has since been on remand at Luzira Prison for allegedly leading a mob against the deceased.
This was after the Kampala High Court Judge Frank Rugadya Atwooki dismissed their bail application after prosecution objected to it on grounds that they were sitting their exams in prison.
According to the indictment, the trio and others still on the run on April 12, 2015 at Nkrumah Hall in Makerere University murdered Ojok suspecting him to be a thief.
Ojok was rushed to Mulago Referral Hospital in Kampala where he was pronounced dead. He was buried at his ancestral home at Kolkil village in Pader district.
The indictment further indicates that Ojok had gone to Nkurumah Hall to demand his money amounting to sh500000 from one of the students who had dodged him for some time.
Last Friday, the Jinja Grade One Magistrate Allan Gakyalo warned prosecution against delaying the process of committing another Makerere University student Andrew Kirabo, a third year student of Medicine at Makerere accused of killing Desire Mirembe of the same institution on July 10, 2015.
Mirembe is a biological daughter of Kalungu district chairman, Emmanuel Musoke.
He allegedly dumped her body in a sugarcane plantation at Kibuubu village, Lugazi Town Council in Buikwe District.
This was after prosecution led by Shamim Nalule informed court that though investigations into the case were complete prosecution needed time to draft the committal papers because there were many stake holders in the investigations.
Gakyalo was further remanded until November 30 when he is expected to be committed to High Court to face trial because the magistrate's court lacks jurisdiction to try the offences against him.
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