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Suspects in the murder of the former commander of the Special Forces Commando Unit, Maj Noel Mwesigye, have a case to answer, the General Court Martial (GCM) has ruled.

The court sitting at Makindye in Kampala also instructed the four accused men to prepare their defence.

The accused, battling murder charges and represented by Capt. Simon Nsubuga Busagwa and Elizabeth Nyasingwa, are Manisur Olenga, 35, Rashid Yiga alias Mucholi, 35, Steven Kisuule, 28, and Rogers Mwanje, 24.

“This court after evaluating the evidence on record from all the prosecution witnesses is satisfied that a prima facie case has been proved against each of you.

Accordingly, this court finds that each of you has a case to answer and you put on your defence,” ruled Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe, the GCM chairman on Tuesday (April 16, 2024) as the accused reappeared in his court for mention of their case.

Maj. Mwesigye was one of Uganda People’s Defence Forces' (UPDF) finest commandos and took part in UPDF’s decisive battles against Al Shabaab in Somalia.

He, however, met his death in January 2021 after gunmen ambushed him while at his farm in the Luwero district.

Eight prosecution witnesses testified against the accused including Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) John Leonard Mukwaya, who told the court that Olega and Yiga confessed before him when and how they killed Mwesigye.

Another witness, a Special Police Constable attached to the Police’s Flying Squad Unit, Eric Birimaso Nkata, and a specialist in phone tracking, told the court that he tracked serial numbers of phones recovered at the crime scene where Maj. Mwesigye was murdered and the same was in the name of the prime suspect (Manisur Olenga).

Charges

The prosecution alleges that on or around January 17, 2021, Olega, Yiga, Kisuule, Mwanje, and others still at large, while at Masinga village, Kikyusa, in Luwero with malice aforethought, unlawfully caused the death of Mwesigye using a submachine gun serial number, UG-UPDF-48003239, the said gun being ordinarily a monopoly of the defence forces.

It is also purported that the accused and others still at large during the same day, time, and place robbed Mwesigye of his Pistol Thurus NO. UG-UPDF TAO-48003239, a monopoly of the defence forces.

The accused also allegedly robbed Barbra Katiti of sh490,000 and immediately before or after the said robbery had a gun, a monopoly of the Defence Forces.

Lt. Col. Raphael Mugisha, Captain Ambroz Guma, and Lt Alex Mukhwana are the state prosecutors and the case was adjourned to April 30, 2024, for a defence hearing.