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The High Court has admitted the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) report from the Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL) as evidence in the trial of nine people charged with the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Susan Magara on February 7, 2018. 

The report was on Tuesday, January 9, admitted as evidence by the presiding judge Alex Ajiji following the testimony of Musa Kirya, a senior government analyst at the Wandegeya-based GAL.

Kirya, 41, revealed that when he examined the two finger nets that were submitted to GAL by the Police, he discovered that Susan was the donor of the female DNA that was obtained from the submitted finger nets.

Testifying under the guidance of chief state attorney Sherifah Nalwanga, Kirya explained that when he analysed the swabs for Nokia and Tecno phones, it was only the swabs from the Nokia phone that had DNA of a male origin. 

“My lord, when I matched the male profile obtained from the Nokia phone and that of Susan, I found that the donor of the male DNA profile from the Nokia phone was a biological relative to the deceased,” Kirya said.

In regard to the 1gb memory card, Tecno phone and paper bag, Kirya said he was not able to generate any DNA on the items.

Concerning the vaginal swabs, blood samples, and left and right-hand finger nets that were submitted to GAL, Kirya said they belonged to Susan.

In regard to the blood samples and mouth swabs obtained from Bob Kibirango who was suspected to have participated in her kidnap and murder, Kirya said they never matched with that of Susan.

Kirya said the examination required him to ascertain whether there was any biological material other than that of the deceased on the Ketamax box, 1gb SD memory card, two finger nets with cutex and a ring, two swabs from Nokia phone and Tecno phone and the second examination was for him to ascertain the donor of the two finger nets, ring and the index finger.

The items that were examined are a Ketamax box, 1gb SD memory card, two finger nets, ring, index finger, cutex and a ring, two swabs from a Nokia phone, a Tecno phone, vaginal swabs of the deceased, blood sample from the deceased, left and right-hand fingernails from the deceased, blood sample and mouth swabs from Bob Kibirango Barata, who as suspected to have participated in the kidnap and murder case.

Kirya said the items were submitted through Police Form 17A on February 20, 2018 and March 5, 2018, respectively.

Kirya is the 14th witness in the murder case. The accused are Abbas Musa Buvumbo, Yusuf Lubega, Abubakar Kyewolwa, Hussein Wasswa, Muzamiru Ssali, Hassan Kato-Miiro, Amir Ismail Bukenya, Hajara Nakandi and Mahad Kisalita, the former imam of Usafi makeshift mosque in Mengo-Kisenyi.

The kidnapping

Susan, 28, a daughter to businessman John Magara was kidnapped on February 7, 2018, on Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo as she drove back home in Lungujja in Rubaga Division, Kampala District.

Susan Magara. (Courtesy)

Her kidnappers then contacted the family and demanded $1m (about sh3.65b) before they could release her.

Unfortunately, she was murdered in cold blood and three weeks later her body was recovered from Kigo in Wakiso District on February 27, 2018, where it had been dumped despite the family having delivered $200,000 (about sh700m) to the kidnappers.

Susan worked as a cashier at the Mengo-based Bwendoro dairy farm owned by her father John Magara.

During her requiem mass at Our Lady of Africa Catholic Church in Mbuya, the family revealed that her (Susan) killers had chopped off her fingers and sent them together with a recording of the incident to the family.

The prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large on February 7, 2018, kidnapped Susan with the intent to procure a ransom for her liberation from the danger of being murdered.

The indictment indicates that Susan was a victim of a ransom scheme hatched by one Yakub Byensi, a former combatant with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels who hails from Bunyoro like Susan and that he was known to her family as well Lubega who used to work in Container Village with Susan’s mother. Byensi is still at large.

Armed with insider information, the suspects, according to the prosecution, started trailing Susan until they kidnapped her in Lungujja on her way home.

They allegedly first took her to Nakandi’s home in Nateete and later to Amir Bukenya’s home in Konge II Makindye from where her two fingers were cut off and sent them to her family to show their determination to murder her if ransom money was not paid.

The indictment indicates that the decision to kill Susan was because releasing her would expose the kidnappers.

Nalwanga, Joseph Kyomuhendo and Irene Nakimbugwe are the prosecutors in the case while Richard Kumbuga, Benjamin Wanda, John Kabagambe and Zaina Nabukenya are the defence lawyers.