Murder cases dominate Lira High Court criminal session

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LIRA - Murder cases took centre stage at the High Court sitting in Lira as the criminal session opened on December 22, 2025, underscoring a troubling backlog of serious offences spanning nearly a decade.

The session was being presided over by Lady Justice Sarah Birungi Kalibbala. According to the official cause list, the court is handling 54 case files involving about 81 accused persons, with offences dating back to 2016, but the bulk originating from 2022 to 2025.

Of the cases listed, 34 relate to murder, followed by 10 aggravated defilement cases, six aggravated robberies, five rape cases, and one case each of arson and being an accessory after the fact to murder.



Only four women are among the accused persons. Doris Ejang is charged with the murder of Geoffrey Opio, allegedly committed between June 29 and 30, 2024, in Kole district, alongside Uganda army soldier Private Ronald Okello. Agness Atim faces two counts of arson and murder, while Rebecca Kia from Lira city is charged with aggravated robbery.

High-profile Olila murder

One of the most closely watched cases before the court is the murder of Dr Wilfred Olila, an ENT specialist and lecturer at Soroti University.

Dr Olila. (Courtesy)

Olila was reportedly lured from his clinic on Aroma Lane in Lira city, kidnapped near Lira Hotel in Senior Quarters, bound with a rope, robbed of cash and a mobile phone, and later brutally killed. His body was discovered on January 17, 2025, abandoned along the Otuboi–Abalanga Road in Ogolai Village, Kalaki District. He was dressed in a blue Uganda Medical Association (UMA) T-shirt.

Police initially arrested 11 suspects but released seven after failing to establish sufficient evidence. Four suspects: Joel George Okello (36), Steven Kalama (19), Joseph Okabo (28), a businessman in Lira, and Jonathan Omara (33), were later charged with murder and remanded to Lira Main Prison on February 13, 2025. Another suspect, Andrew Okello (32), was produced in court on February 28, 2025.

The case is registered under CRB 45/2025 at Lira City Central Police Station and A74/2025 at the Lira Magistrates’ Court.

Further investigations led to the arrest of Paul Mugerwa (31), a resident of Mbale and a suspected habitual offender, who allegedly fled to Kisozi in Gomba District after the murder before his arrest. On March 13, 2025, Police also arrested Alex Itonge (25), an employee of Jubilee Insurance, Mbale Branch, and a student at Uganda Christian University (UCU), Mbale Campus.

Upon committal to the High Court, all other suspects were released, leaving Joel George Okello, Paul Mugerwa, Athanasius Kawuki and Alex Itonge to face trial. They are charged with three counts of murder, aggravated robbery, and being an accessory after the fact to murder.

The accused appeared before court but did not take plea after the Police file was recalled to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kampala. 

The judge adjourned the matter to February 9, 2026, for mention.

Adjournments and plea bargain bid

All other cases listed in the session were similarly adjourned to next year, either for hearing or mention.

Meanwhile, Mugerwa recently applied for a plea bargain, proposing a 20-year sentence. The prosecution rejected the offer, instead proposing a 35-year prison term or life imprisonment.

The criminal session is expected to resume in earnest next year as the High Court attempts to clear the heavy backlog of serious offences.