The government will appeal the life imprisonment sentence given to the convicts who were involved in the murder of Case Clinic accountant Francis Ekalungar, President Yoweri Museveni has said.

Museveni noted that the suspects deserved a death sentence and not life imprisonment and emphasised that Uganda had not abolished the death sentence.

The President also protested the continued decision by the courts to grant bail to murder suspects saying bail is not a constitutional right and must not be used to provoke the public.

The President spoke while presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of six new judges, including Christopher Gashirabake, Tom Chemutai, Lawrence Tweyanze, Vincent Wagona, Alice Komuhangi and Florence Nakacwa, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) and Deputy IGGs at a ceremony held at State House Entebbe on Wednesday.

“For somebody to kill a person and you give them bail is provocation. It is abominable.  This bail, what is the hurry? Who are you trying to please? Who said bail is a right? It is not in the Constitution. We are going to work on this. I am going to summon the NRM caucus and if necessary, we put it to a referendum. With this provocation, people will take the law into their hands,” Museveni said.

Mawa Muzamiru the ring-leader in the brutal murder of the Case Clinic accountant, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment. His accomplices including his wife Resty Nalunga, Deo Yiga, and Huzailu Kiwalabye received five, seven, and 25 years imprisonment respectively.

“These people conspired to kill the accountant. Now one was given a life sentence, did the one they killed given a life sentence? Was the death sentence abolished? The Case Clinic case will be appealed,” the President added.

President Museveni with new IGG Beti Kamya (2nd left) and her deputies Ann Muhairwe and Patricia Achan (2nd right) after taking oath. PPU Photo

The ceremony which took place at State House Entebbe was graced by the Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera, the Acting Principal Judge Musa Ssekaana, Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka and other officials from the Ministry of Justice.

The swearing-in ceremony for the IGG Beti Olive Namisango Kamya and her deputies Dr Patricia Achan Okiria and Ann Twinomugisha Muhairwe was conducted by the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Lucy Nakyobe and that of the judges was conducted by the Chief Registrar Sarah Langa Siu.

The President urged the judiciary to address the issue of ideological differences when passing judgment on criminal cases to render justice to the victims of these crimes and to avoid the breaking of the law with impunity.

“However, I am seeing an ideological problem between the way you are trained as lawyers and we the freedom fighters and then population. For somebody to kill a person and you give him bail that is provocation. Justice will lose meaning completely,” he said citing the case of 43-year-old Christine Akello who was murdered by her husband Denis Alal in Anai Ober Cell, Ober Ward in Lira City West.

Alal was later killed by a mob using the same panga he used to kill his wife.

The President also cited the case of Acucu in Karamoja who returned from jail after 10 years and found his wives married to other men and his cattle stolen. He embarked on a cattle-raiding spree that resulted in counter-attacks leaving hundreds dead.

Museveni congratulated the young team of lawyers upon their appointments and noted that the two categories of officials sworn in could do a lot to expedite the growth of the economy that has already recovered and expanded.

He urged the office of the IGG led by Kamya to step up the fight against corruption as the population is already fed up with corrupt officials.

“People are fed up with corruption, this is not a difficult job for serious and honest people. Your offices are infiltrated, start by cleaning it up and link with the public to collect vital information. Be patient and connect with local people. Corruption is like AIDS, it attacks your defence system. CID doesn’t do its work, research people to not handle whistle blowers etc. Don’t frustrate them. The victims and their relatives are reliable allies in the fight against corruption. Link up with them,” he said.

Kamya pledged to offer motivational and inspirational leadership and said they will do the very best to ensure they deliver the mandate entrusted to them.

“We shall pay a lot of attention to prevention and not just running after cases,” she said.

Buteera commended government and President Museveni for enhancing the Judiciary’s budget which was increased from sh196bn for the financial year 2020/21 to sh357bn for the financial year 2021/22.

“This increment will enable us go a long way in bringing justice nearer to the people of Uganda: our dream, in the medium term, is to bring justice to all the people of Uganda within a walkable distance,” he said.

Buteera said with the increased financial resources, the human resource challenge is to be addressed systematically each financial year starting this year with the recruitment plan of two justices of the Supreme Court, 14 judges of the High Court, 10 deputy registrars among others.

Buteera said in a bid to extend services nearer to the people, the Judiciary has undertaken a number of construction projects meant for housing court premises.