The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has concluded presenting in court its evidence in the murder case of social worker Maria Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa, with 21 witnesses testifying in the matter.

The witnesses include Isaac Ssenabulya aka Kisunsu who was in February this year sentenced to 40 years in jail after pleading guilty to the charges at the initial stages of the trial.

His alleged accomplices, Coporiyamu Kasolo aka Arsenal, Johnson Lubega aka Etoo alias Manomano, Nasif Kalyango aka Muwonge, Hassan Kisekka aka Masadda, Sharif Mpanga aka Shafiq and Sadat Kateregga aka Baros, denied the charges and are standing trial over the same offences.

Comporiyamu Kasolo (left) with his co-accused suspects appearing before the High court on Monday April 3, 2023.

The evidence 

Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence operative Frank Nyakairu told court that the accused are members of B-13, a notorious criminal gang operating in Nateete, Rubaga division in Kampala and were tracked after Kitayimbwa’s mobile money line was inserted in another telephone handset belonging to Lubega.

Detective Sgt James Barasa, the investigation officer, was the last witness to testify in the matter on Tuesday.

Barasa pinned Kasolo and Kateregga for planning the murder while at Luzira Prisons where they were serving sentences after they were convicted for escaping from lawful custody at Kira Police Station and aggravated robbery, respectively.

After Barasa’s testimony, the prosecution closed its case prompting trial judge Isaac Muwata to adjourn the matter until April 14, 2023, for both the prosecution and defence to submit on whether or not the accused should be put on defence given the evidence adduced in court. 

Chief state attorney Jonathan Muwaganya and state attorney Timothy Amerit from DPP's office are prosecuting the matter while Julius Sserwambala represents the accused on state brief. However, Kasolo represents himself.

Nagirinya, a former employee of the Community Integrated Development Initiative, was murdered in cold blood, together with Kitayimbwa on August 28, 2019, in what prosecution said was a robbery scheme.

Nagirinya Murder suspects appearing before High court Nakasero on Monday April 3 2023.

The prosecution alleges that the group and others still at large at Nabisasilo zone, Rubaga division, in Kampala district with intent to murder, forcibly kidnapped Nagirinya, Kitayimbwa and eventually murdered them. Their bodies were recovered on August 30, 2019, in Mukono district.  

The indictment 

According to the indictment, on August 28, 2019, Nagirinya, driving in her motor vehicle UBA 570V, a Toyota Spacio, picked up her friend, Ndibazza to visit her co-worker Sylvia at Nalumunye, who had just been discharged from the hospital.

At about 8:30 pm, Ndibazza allegedly told Nagirinya that it was time for them to leave and since Nagirinya was not feeling well, she allegedly called Kitayimbwa to come and drive them back.

A motorcycle paraded in the high court as part of the exhibits during the Nagirinya murder case on Monday April 3 2023.

Shortly after, Kitayimbwa who frequently drove Nagirinya arrived and called his colleague who used to follow them as he drove off but this time he didn’t turn up because it was very late.

They set up at about 10:30pm and they first dropped Ndibazza at her residence in Nsambya and then proceeded to Nagirinya’s home at Lungujja-Mengo in Rubaga division.

The documents indicate that they arrived at Nagirinya's home at about 11:00pm and she called her sister Nakidde to open the gate, but she didn’t pick up and thus contacted Kalemba to inform Nakidde to open the gate.

As they waited for the gate to be opened, a group of about four men armed with guns and machetes approached the vehicle and ordered Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa to occupy the back seats between two assailants while the two took the front seats with one driving the motor vehicle.

According to the prosecution, as Nakidde walked towards the gate, she heard Nagirinya crying out for help and quickly opened the gate to see what was happening.

As Nakidde approached the vehicle, one of the assailants turned the motor vehicle and sped off with Nagirinya and Kitayimbwa screaming.

Court documents show that on August 28, 2019, at about 1:00am, Abdullah Kabuye saw the vehicle parked opposite a garage in Kigagga zone with its doors open but he didn’t mind so much and when he found the same vehicle in the same place the following day, he thus informed the area defence secretary who alerted the officers at Nateete police station, who consequently retrieved it.

The Police report on the court file shows that the vehicle was blood-stained and some of the items recovered from the vehicle include soiled black shoes and documents in the names of Nagirinya, among others.