Court upholds 32-year sentence for man who defiled girls to ‘cure’ impotence

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The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of Zebron Ssekandi for the aggravated defilement of two young girls within hours, reportedly committed in an attempt to cure his impotence, affirming his 32-year prison sentence.

Ssekandi had appealed the sentence, arguing that the Court of Appeal in 2015 upheld consecutive terms despite his guilty plea under a plea bargain agreement.

Justices Mike Chibita, Elizabeth Musoke, Christopher Madrama, Catherine Bumugemereire, and Monica Mugenyi unanimously ruled that the Court of Appeal’s sentencing was appropriate.

On March 11, 2026, the justices noted that after reviewing the appeal, they found no merit in it and subsequently ordered Ssekandi to serve the full 32-year sentence.

“We note that the appellant told the High Court that he performed the sexual acts on the victims because a traditional medicine man he had visited over sexual impotence issues had imposed a condition for him to have sexual intercourse with virgins below 10 years of age when the impotence was cured. We take the view that the appellant defiled the two victims for ritual purposes, also increased the appellant's culpability and justifies the sentences imposed by the trial court. Accordingly, we do not find any reason for faulting the trial court for arriving at the consecutive sentences it imposed on the appellant nor the Court of Appeal for imposing them,” the justices said.

Background of the case

The victims were on their way to fetch water from a well when they encountered the appellant, who offered them passion fruit juice if they followed him to his home. Innocently, they complied.

Upon reaching the appellant’s home, he took turns undressing each of the victims and engaged in sexual intercourse with both of them.

At around 7:00 p.m., the victims later proceeded to the well to fetch water, which they carried to their respective homes. Upon arrival, one of the girls reported the incident to her grandmother, who in turn informed the girl’s mother. Both women later reported the matter to the police, leading to Ssekandi’s arrest.

The victims, aged nine and five, were defiled by Ssekandi on February 22, 2008.

Ssekandi, a resident of Buseke village in Masaka district, admitted that the facts presented were true. Consequently, the trial judge convicted him on his own guilty plea and imposed the 32-year sentence.

Dissatisfied with the sentence, Ssekandi appealed to the Court of Appeal, but the appeal was dismissed. He later appealed to the Supreme Court, which also dismissed the appeal and upheld the original sentence.