Police medics testify in Kagezi murder trial

KAMPALA - Police clinical officers attached to Nsambya Police Health Centre IV yesterday (May 22, 2025) testified that they examined three suspects accused of killing the former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Joan Kagezi and found that they were mentally stable.

The medical personnel told the High Court, sitting at the International Crimes Division in Kampala city that John Kibuuka alias Musa, Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, 39, and John Masajjage alias Brian Mubiru, 50, were examined and found to be mentally normal.

The court is being presided over by Judges Michael Elubu, Stephen Mubiru, Dr. Winfred Nyondo Nabisinde, and Celia Nagawa.

Superintendent of Police Samuel Sasya, 57, said he examined Masajjage after receiving a Police form requesting an examination of the suspect. Sasya said the form had his signature, name, and workplace.

“I received Police Form 24 on August 31, 2023, at Nsambya Police Health Centre IV. The Police reference number was CRB 26/2015 from Kiwatule Police Station,” Sasya, who is also a senior clinical officer, said.

The witness said by the time he examined Masajjage, he had lost his left eye. He further told the court that the physical findings indicated that Masajjage had total blindness in the left eye following trauma six years ago, and there were no recent injuries seen.

“My lord, Masajjage was mentally sound, by appearance, speech, and recognition,” Sasya testified. He said Masajjage was living positively on ARVs since 2007; generally, he looked well physically, with no other abnormalities detected.

Another medical clinical officer, Godfrey Kigozi, 40, who examined Kibuuka on September 20, 2023, told the court that he found that Kibuuka had no signs of recent physical injuries.

He also told the court that on a mental health examination, Kibuuka was mentally sound with coherent speech, very orienting with time, place, and person, and he had no abnormality.

Prosecution’s seventh witness, Dr. Santo Ojara, 46, a medical officer working at Market Street Medical Centre in Nakawa, also told the court that he generally treats patients and has also been working with the police since 2011.

He examined Mugonole from Market Street Medical Centre in Nakawa and found that he had two old scars on the left shoulder, no recent injuries, and was mentally normal.
The case has been adjourned to July 8, 2025, for further hearing. The prosecution says they are remaining with seven witnesses.

Kagezi was shot dead at about 7:15pm on March 30, 2015, in Kiwatule, a Kampala city suburb, as she drove home with her children.

She had stopped at a fruit stall by the roadside to purchase fruits when assailants riding on a motorcycle opened fire at her car. The autopsy report indicated that she was shot twice in the neck and shoulder, through the window on the driver’s seat.

The case

The accused are battling charges of terrorism and murder, which attract maximum sentences of death upon conviction.

Prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large on March 30, 2015, at Kiwatule in Nakawa Division, Kampala, with malice aforethought, unlawfully caused the death of Kagezi.

In regard to terrorism, the prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large, for the purposes of influencing the Government or intimidating the public for religious, economic, or social aims indiscriminately without due regard to the safety of others attacked Kagezi and murdered her.