Six men convicted over city hotel double murder

Six men aged between 23 and 51 have been convicted over the murder of a manager of Juba City Hotel and his visiting brother in 2018 at Arua Park in Kampala city.

On Tuesday, High Court Judge Stephen Mubiru found the men guilty of the murder of siblings Ibrahim Bakhit and Abdallah Mohammed on August 15.

The convicted men are: Innocent Gumisiriza, Deus Kanyomozi alias Mulengera Donat, Daniel Namara alias Mwesigwa, Jacob Chothembo, Nicolas Mugisha and Abdul Karim Kabano alias Mutegu.

The group are said to have planned a robbery scheme targeting a client identified as Ibrahim Bahat, who allegedly kept gold and money in his room at the hotel.

Instead, they went for the hotel manager.

Convicting the group, Mubiru observed that prosecution led by senior state attorney Jacquelyn Okui adduced sufficient evidence pinning them on taking part in the planning and execution of the heinous crime.

“I find six of the accused persons guilty on all the three charges of murder, attempted murder and aggravated robbery because the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the ingredient of each of the offences,” he ruled.

Citing the provisions of Section 19 of the Penal Code Act, the judge said there are four ways in which one participates in commission of the offence and this involves both direct and indirect participation such as aiding an offender.

Patrick Monday was acquitted by the judge on grounds that he surrendered the gun to the gang on the command of his bosses and no evidence was laid before court placing him at the scene of crime or even participating in the same.  

The convicted men will be sentenced next Tuesday (May 16).

During mitigation, prosecutor Okui asked the court to sentence each of the convicts to life imprisonment given the manner in which the offence was planned and meticulously executed.

Juba Hotel murder suspects being escorted back to prison after appearing before High Court on Tuesday May 9, 2023, these include Gumisiriza Innocent, Kanyomozi Deus,Namara Daniel, Monday Patrick, Chothembo Jacob and Mugisha Nicholas.

On her part, defence lawyer Sarah Awero implored the judge to impose the sentence based on the role played by each of the accused persons.

The group was charged in 2018 with murder, aggravated robbery and attempted murder relating to the robbery scheme at Juba City Hotel.

In February last year, Nelson Oribitunga was sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to the heinous crimes.  

Oribitunga admitted shooting Bakhit and brother Mohammed dead on the fateful day.

Juba Hotel Murder suspects appearing before High court on Tuesday May 9 2023 before being convicted and these include Gumisiriza Innocent, Kanyomozi Deus,Namara Daniel, Monday Patrick, Chothembo Jacob and Mugisha Nicholas.

How the robbery was planned

Evidence laid in court by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reveals that the murderous robbery scheme was engineered by Nicolas Mugisha, who served as a cleaner at the hotel.

It is indicated that Mugisha on August 6, 2018, convened a meeting with his accomplices at Kisenyi Restaurant in Kampala and disclosed to them about Ibrahim Bahat who reportedly kept gold and money at the hotel. They thus planned on how to attack and rob him.

They are said to have resolved that Mugisha should resign so that the plan would be executed after his resignation.

On August 7, 2018, Oribitunga and Namara booked a room at the same hotel with a view of monitoring the place.

On August 14, 2018, Mugisha resigned his job while the rest of the convicts slept at the hotel to familiarise with the place before execution of the mission.

On August 15, 2018, at about 4 am, Oribitunga, Gumisiriza and Kanyomozi knocked on the hotel manager's room and when he opened it, they held him at gunpoint and demanded money and gold.

On robbery, the prosecution said the same day, the group robbed Bakhit and Mohammed sh14.5m and immediately before or immediately after the said robbery they used a pistol on them.

Juba Hotel Murder suspects being escorted back to prison after appearing before High court on Tuesday

The arrest

The arrest of the group followed an alarm made by the hotel's receptionist, which alerted the security guard, who joined in the chasing of the group.

Oribitunga and Gumisiriza were arrested at Arua Park and in the process of arrest, prosecution said Oribitunga shot Robert Owachigiu, a Securiko guard, who assisted in the arrest but survived with injuries.

Upon arrest, Oribitunga was found in possession of a pistol which was used in the commission of the offence.