Verdict in Rwandan student murder trial delayed

CRIME   JUSTICE 

KAMPALA - Two men accused of murdering Andrew Gatare a Columbia College student outside Kampala Serena Hotel on New Year's Day in 2015 will know their fate next Monday.

The judgment in matter was scheduled to be delivered yesterday (Monday) but High Court judge Flavia Anglin Senoga said it was not ready. She consequently deferred the judgment to July 15.

Ronald Mutebi and Geoffrey Lubwama alias Jeff are accused of killing Andrew Gatare on the New Year's Day, shortly after watching fireworks.

Gatare, 19, was pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering at Columbia College in Canada and was in the country for the Christmas holidays.

At about 2 AM on the fateful night, Gatare is said to have left the hotel and crossed Nile Avenue to get a bodaboda back home when two men pounced on him before robbing him of his mobile phone and money.

Gatare was later picked by Police who took him to Mulago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation

The Police conducted investigations which revealed that the said injuries were consistent with the application of physical force caused by a deadly weapon (a hammer).

The evidence tabled in court by the state shows that the Police tracked the alleged killers by using the deceased's telephone number and the phone's IMEI number which was later traced to a one Damulira Ssezzi.

The prosecution states that on January 13, 2015, through a string of operations, Police arrested Damulira who said Mutebi sold to him the phone.

He said Mutebi, who was a resident of Kazo in Central Division in Kawempe, sold to him the phone at sh60,000 of which he had made a down payment of sh40,000.

Mutebi was then arrested and upon interrogation, he confessed to having stolen the phone from the deceased. 

Damulira allegedly told the Police how he shared the money with Lubwama whom the Police also arrested.

Last week, court assessors Betty Bogere and Rehema Babirye advised the court to convict the duo. 

They said prosecution had proved beyond a reasonable doubt all the ingredients of the charges of murder and aggravated robbery against them.

Murder and aggravated robbery attract a maximum death sentence on conviction.