Court in Kampala sentences Ndiga clan chief killers to death
While passing the maximum sentence, Justice Matovu said it was necessary to send a strong message against individuals who take the law into their own hands.
High Court has today (August 13) sentenced Luggya Bbosa Tabula (pictured) and his son, Noah Lujja, to death. (File photo)
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The High Court has sentenced to death two men who pleaded guilty to the murder of Ndiga (Sheep) Clan chief, Engineer Daniel Kakeeto Bbosa.
Justice David Matovu of the Criminal Division of the High Court today (August 13) sentenced Luggya Bbosa Tabula and his son, Noah Lujja, to death, ruling that the murder was meticulously planned and executed.
The judge ordered that the two convicts be executed in accordance with the laws of Uganda. He also informed them of their right to appeal against the sentence within 14 days.
While passing the maximum sentence, Justice Matovu said it was necessary to send a strong message against individuals who take the law into their own hands.
“I agree with the prosecution that the case fell within the category of cases warranting the maximum sentence,” he said.
The sentence followed the convicts’ guilty pleas to murdering Bbosa, who was shot dead on February 25, 2024, as he approached the gate of his residence in Lungujja, Kikandwa Village, Rubaga Division, Kampala.
The court heard that the murder stemmed from a long-running dispute over the leadership of the Ndiga Clan in the Buganda Kingdom.
Justice Matovu noted that Tabula had held several meetings at his home during which different strategies for killing Bbosa were discussed. He also provided a firearm that he had kept in his gardens, which was later used to kill the Clan chief.
The judge further noted that Bbosa had been trailed from his home to establish his movements and ensure that the attackers found him at the targeted time and on the planned day.
The court described the killing as a carefully orchestrated act, underscoring the gravity of the offence and the need for a deterrent sentence.
Justice Matovu rejected the defence and prosecution submission that the convicts were genuinely remorseful because they had pleaded guilty.
The judge observed that their apparent remorse came only after overwhelming evidence had been gathered against them.
Justice Matovu noted that had the suspects not been apprehended, it would have been difficult for the authorities to determine who had committed the murder and the reasons behind it.
The judge noted that the convicts used a motorcycle with disguised number plates and a firearm whose serial number had been rendered illegible.
Justice Matovu said the use of disguised number plates and a firearm with no legible serial number demonstrated the convicts’ intention to conceal their identities and evade the authorities after killing Bbosa.
The court further found that the convicts’ actions had affected several categories of people.
The judge said Bbosa’s family had lost a father and husband, while the Ndiga clan had lost its leader.
He added that Uganda had also lost a senior citizen in what he described as “gruesome circumstances.”
The two convicts were battling charges of murder together with Ezra Mayanja, Harriet Nakiguli and Joseph Nakabale, who have since denied the murder charges and will face trial over the same. They have been on remand at Luzira Prison since March 11, 2024.