Onebe murder case resumes after bus driver imprisonment revelations

KAMPALA - The murder trial of businessman Francis Onebe resumes today (March 16, 2026) at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala.

Onebe, an accountant by profession, is accused of killing his wife, Immaculate Mary Blessing Aiso, and later dumping her body in a septic tank.

The businessman is battling murder charges together with Bonny Oriekot, a security guard attached to Pentagon Security. The offence of murder elicits a maximum sentence of death, on conviction.

In the last court session (February 25), the court presided over by Justice Andrew Khaukha heard that a bus conductor was last year sentenced to 10 months in prison for giving Police false information about Onebe’s wife killers.

According to prosecution, on May 30, 2022, at Kabalagala Police Station in Makindye division, Kampala, Gerald Abaasa, gave false information to Assistant Superintendent of Police Flavia Namutebi that he knew the people who had murdered Aiso to divert investigations.

Abaasa also forged and uttered a false document indicating that Onebe was not responsible for his wife’s murder, purporting that it had been authorised by the General Court Martial in Makindye.

The court heard that charges of giving false information to a person employed in public service, forgery and uttering false documents initially levelled against Abaasa were withdrawn in 2023 for want of prosecution but reinstated in 2025.

Chief state attorney Sherifah Nalwanga stated that Abaasa subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges, and the court passed a 10-month sentence to him.

However, it remains unclear whether he is still serving the sentence. She was assisted by Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo.

In his statement dated September, 2020, Abaasa reported to the disbanded Flying Squad Unit at the Central Police Station, a plan by Charles Okello, an employee of Pentagon Security Company and Brain Kwezira to kill Aiso, but said he gave up because they did not take him seriously. Abaasa also stated that he contacted several security offices, in vain.

According to Abaasa, he heard Okello telling Kwezira to execute a job of killing Aiso, a task that needed the use of a gun, which he would provide. Abaasa stated that as soon as Okello left, Kwezira warned him against speaking anything about the conversation.

Court documents indicate that in 2013, Abaasa joined Horizon Coaches as a bus conductor and in 2016 got employed by Link Bus Company for the same job. At the time, Link Bus Company manager was Henry Kato, and the assistant manager was Brian Kwezira.

Abaasa said the two (Okello and Kwezira) agreed that they would use bodyguards Phanuel Okale and Bonny Oriekot to report on the trail of the victim’s movements.

Background

On January 6, 2021, Onebe reported a case of his missing wife at Buziga Police Post, and investigations commenced. He claimed that his wife was picked up by plainclothes operatives travelling in a ‘drone’ and taken to an unknown destination.

A week later, her body was recovered from a septic tank at the couple’s residence by the joint security team headed by the Criminal Investigations Directorate operatives.

Police preliminary investigations reveal that Onebe and wife, Aiso, parted ways and after 14 years reunited and formally married until her murder.

In the committal papers, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions reveals that Onebe and Aiso had a dispute over sorcery, resulting in the death of his wife.