COURT | MURDER | TWINONOMUGISHSA

KAMPALA - A case involving the murder of three students at Makerere University remains unresolved for 22 years. 

Unfortunately, Alex Twinomugisha, who is indicted on the murders, is now seeking unconditional release from jail after serving his sentence over the murder of Toro Prince Happy Kijanangoma. 

Twinomugisha, a soldier by then, is said to have shot dead the students after suspecting that one of them was among the witnesses in the Kijanangoma murder case. 

The deceased are Maria Mirindi Birungi Katasi, then a third-year social science student, her cousin, Cpl Mirindi Amooti Kajabagu and Richard Tumwesigye, both law students in fourth and third year, respectively. 

Despite having been charged with the murder of the trio in 1999, Twinomugisha is yet to be committed to the High Court for trial because the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) focused on the Kijanangoma murder case only. 

When contacted over the matter, the ODPP spokesperson, Senior Attorney Jacquelyn Okui, said efforts to trace the file are on. 

In 2001, High Court found Twinomugisha alongside two others, then Toro kingdom prime minister, John Sanyu Katuramu and his nephew, Patrick Kwezi, guilty of Kijanangoma’s murder and sentenced them to death. 

However, they got a lease of life when they benefited from the famous Susan Kigula Supreme Court landmark judgment that saw their death sentence reduced to 20-year imprisonment.

Their 20-year jail sentence was concluded on September 11, last year, but Twinomugisha remained in detention due to the murder. 

On Wednesday, High Court Judge Musa Ssekaana gave the Attorney General (AG) two weeks to reply to Twinomugisha’s application for unconditional release from jail. 

This was after State Attorney Hilary Abilu from the AG’s chambers asked court to give them more time to reply to the application. 

Abilu also informed court that there are several meetings involving the DPP, Justice Jane Frances Abodo, AG and Police in search of the file and that the person who was supposed to swear the affidavit in the matter, had switched off his phones. The matter is coming back to court on February 24. 

In his application, Twinomugisha also seeks damages for his delayed prosecution in addition to the costs of the suit. 

Twino Mugisha's argument 

Through his lawyer, Geoffrey Turyamusiima, Alex Twinomugisha argues that such delayed prosecution has infringed upon his non-derogable rights, such as fair and speedy trial and should be terminated for abuse of his rights and legal due process.

After he was charged, Twinomugisha was taken to the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, where he was detained for six months before he was again arraigned at the same court and charged with the murder of Kijanangoma, together with Katuramu and four others on April 14, 2000. 

The group was later committed to the High Court for trial over the murder and on September 12, 2001, they were condemned to death. 

Following the conviction, the second murder charge that had been slapped on him was neither prosecuted to its logical conclusion nor forwarded to the High Court for trial.