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OYAM - The UPDF 01 Special Command Group Court Martial of the Special Forces Command (SFC) has sentenced their own soldier to life in prison for murder and 40 years imprisonment for aggravated robbery.

No. RA/239288 Julius Ecee, a soldier attached to the Artillery Regiment at Weza, Kawaweta in Nakaseke district, was found guilty of murder and aggravated robbery.

The SFC is an elite unit responsible for the protection of the President of Uganda and major installations in the country.

The prosecution’s case was that the accused on December 26, 2023, at Loro Town Council in Oyam district, with malice aforethought, killed Isaac Okola Kizito. He also robbed sh65,000 from Lilly Obote in the same area at the same time.

The three-day trial was conducted at Loro town council where the crime took place, presided over by Lt. Col. Moses Nabasa.

The soldier dressed in army green military uniform with desert boots pleaded not guilty to both counts and the prosecution presented 16 witnesses to pin him to the crime.

In their deliberation, the court found the accused guilty and convicted him as charged. In mitigation, the defence said the convict is a first offender, a person with a young family who may be helpful to the country if given a chance. (Credit: Joseph Ekol)

Lt. Hirald Rugyendo, the defence lawyer, put up a spirited defense for his client arguing that the soldier has no case to answer and should be set free.

Prosecution Counsel Lt. David Basiima insisted that the soldier be convicted as charged because he proved all the ingredients of the two counts beyond a reasonable doubt.

In their deliberation, the court found the accused guilty and convicted him as charged.
In mitigation, the defence said the convict is a first offender, a person with a young family who may be helpful to the country if given a chance.

He prayed for a lenient sentence.

The prosecution, however, prayed for a deterrent sentence saying the convict was not remorseful throughout the trial.

The Court then sentenced the convict to serve life imprisonment on the count of murder and 40 years imprisonment for aggravated robbery to run concurrently.

The sentence was read by court chairperson Nabasa.

Immediately after passing the sentence, the convict was marched out of the court hall by heavily armed SFC personnel, ordered to remove his desert boots, and matched to a waiting van with a private number about 10 metres away as excited members of the community watched.

The convict according to the Court, will serve his life sentence at Luzira Maximum Prison.