Two convicted over murder of university student

CRIME   MURDER

The High Court in Kampala has convicted two men over the murder of a Columbian University student outside Kampala Serena Hotel on New Year's Eve of 2015.

They are Ronald Mutebi and Geoffrey Lubwama alias Jeff.

On Monday, High Court Judge Flavia Anglin Senoga ruled that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the duo killed 19-year-old Andrew Gatare.

Gatare was killed on the New Year Eve of 2015, shortly after watching fireworks outside Kampala Serena Hotel.

The court heard that at about 2:00am on the fateful night, Gatare left the hotel and crossed to Nile Avenue to get a boda-boda back home when two men pounced on him before robbing him of his mobile phone and money.

Gatare was later picked by police officers who dropped him at Mulago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Geoffrey Lubwama (left) and Ronald Mutebi, after being convicted of robbery and murder of Andrew Gatare, a Colombia University student at High court in Kampala. (Photo by Sylvia Katushabe)

The investigations

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

The evidence tabled in court by Director of Public Prosecution showed that 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 DPP stated 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 said phone from the deceased. 

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

Early this month, court assessors Betty Bogere and Rehema Babirye advised court to convict the duo. 

They said prosecution had proved beyond 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.

The charge

The prosecution alleged that the duo and others still at large on January 1, 2015, at Kampala Serena Hotel on Nile Avenue with malice a forethought killed Gatare before robbing his cell phone.

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