Soroti man jailed 12yrs for killing own children

By Sam Ekadu in Soroti

High Court in Soroti has handed a man a 12 year prison sentence for murdering his own two children.

Simon Olinga, 34, a resident of Kichinjanji Ward Northern Division in Soroti Municipality was on Thursday sent to serve his punitive sentence by Lady Justice Henrietta Wolayo.

Justice Wolayo read the two charges preferred against Olinga, he quickly pleaded guilty.

Giving the brief facts of the case, Resident State Attorney Noah Kunya told court that Olinga committed the offence in November 2011 in Kichinjanji.

Kunya narrated that on the fateful day, Olinga developed a quarrel with his wife called Sarah Asimwe which led to a fight.

Furthermore prosecution told court that after the fight Asiimwe ran to Soroti Central Police station to report the assault case leaving her husband with the two children Allan Eseru aged 2 and Ayub Kanangaliwa aged 6 months.

Simon Olinga then went to their grass thatched house, closed the door from outside and set the house on fire in which the two infants burnt to death.

Prosecution asked court to hand Olinga the death penalty because what he did was by no means acceptable in the community.

Olinga’s lawyer Timothy Erabu in his mitigation told court that he client was a first time offender and had pleaded guilty which had saved court’s time and resouces by which he asked for court’s leniency.

His wife and mother of the deceased children asked court to give Olinga an appropriate sentence.