Court sentences child traffickers to 12 years in jail
Mbaziira was sentenced to 12 years on each of the four counts on which he was convicted, while Rigenyi received the same sentence on each of the three counts against him.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning each convict will serve one 12-year jail term. (File photo)
________________
The High Court's International Crimes Division has sentenced two men convicted of trafficking five children to 12 years in jail each.
Justice Andrew Bashaija sentenced Sheikh Abdurashid Mbaziira alias Sewajja, also known as Muhammad Jamir Walukagga Buyondo, and Aramanthan Noordin Rigenyi today (November 2, 2026).
Mbaziira was sentenced to 12 years on each of the four counts on which he was convicted, while Rigenyi received the same sentence on each of the three counts against him.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning each convict will serve one 12-year jail term.
The judge ordered that the period the convicts had spent on remand, from April 10, 2019, amounting to seven years, six months and 17 days, be deducted from their sentences.
According to the sentencing order, each convict has four years, five months and 13 days left to serve.
The two were convicted of aggravated trafficking in persons under sections 3(1)(a) and 5(a) of the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act.
During sentencing, senior state attorney Marion Benbella asked court to impose the maximum penalty of death against the convicts, arguing that the victims were young children who needed special protection.
Benbella also told court that child trafficking remained a serious problem in the country, citing figures from the Uganda Police Force indicating that 1,002 trafficking cases were reported between 2016 and 2025, of which 555 victims were children.
She argued that a deterrent sentence was necessary to protect children and discourage others from committing similar offences.
However, the defence lawyers; Sylvia Namawejje Ebitu and Samuel Wanda, asked for leniency, saying the convicts had no previous convictions and that all the children had been reunited with their parents.
The lawyers argued that the children had not suffered physical harm and that some had been away from their mothers for only a few days. The lawyers also asked court to consider the time the convicts had spent on remand since April 2019. They had requested for a 10-year sentence.
In his plea, Mbaziira said he had only been teaching the children Islamic religion and had no intention of trafficking them. He asked court to impose a sentence equivalent to the time he had already spent in prison.
On the other hand, Rigenyi told court that he had nine children, three wives and a mother, who depended on him. He also asked for leniency, saying his absence had affected his family, including a child who had reportedly failed to continue with school.
In his sentencing decision, Justice Bashaija said he had considered the submissions by both sides and the convicts’ personal circumstances, including their family responsibilities and the period they had spent on remand.
The judge observed that Mbaziira had received the children from their parents after assuring them that he would teach them Islam, despite not having a registered or licensed school.
He said the circumstances surrounding the children’s placement at Mbaziira’s home and the interception of one of them while travelling with Rigenyi raised serious concerns about the purpose of the arrangement.
The judge also noted that Rigenyi, as a father, should have understood that very young children, including a three-year-old, were better placed under the care of their parents, especially their mothers.
Background
The case arose from investigations that began in March 2017 after police received intelligence about suspected child trafficking involving people travelling from Kampala towards the DRC.
Police intercepted Rigenyi at Mubuku in Kasese district while he was travelling with a child, Ibrahim Nuwasi. During the operation, Rigenyi reportedly presented two national identity cards bearing the same photograph but different names.
The child told investigators that he barely knew Rigenyi and had travelled with him for about two days.
On March 19, 2017, police arrested Mbaziira at his home in Kalagi, Mukono district, where more than 10 other children were found. The children were taken to Naggalama Police Station before being transferred to Kyampisi Child Care Ministries.
Some of the children were later identified and reunited with their parents after an announcement was made on television.