Desh Kananura murder trial set for November

The High Court has set November 7th to hear the case of five people including Andrew Kananura alias Desh, accused of beating former employee Badru Kateregga to death.

The case has been allocated to Justice Joseph Murangira, who will also preside over 50 cases in the next criminal session, scheduled for November.

In March, Justice Wilson Masalu-Musene withdrew from the case citing a local tabloid report that accused him of having vested interest in the matter, a reason it had dragged on since 2013.

Musene explained that there was a bold headline stating that ‘It Is Not Yet Over' in the local tabloid's story alleging that while he was at Nakawa High Court, he refused to transfer the case to the High Court in Kampala, saying the court had ultimate jurisdiction to handle it.

"The same tabloid stated in its story that a year later when the case was transferred to High Court, I was also transferred purposely to hear it," Musene said.

This prompted him to direct that the file be allocated to another judge for purposes of justice.

Kananura was charged with murder together with his brother Raymond Kananura, security guard Samuel Muzolewa, Cyrus Maganda and Jacob Onyango.

Kateregga was an attendant at Panamera Bar and Restaurant, located in the city suburb of Naguru.

According to prosecution, the accused on September 30, 2012, allegedly tortured Kateregga to death after he was found with sh30,000 that exceeded the allowed amount to be held by any worker.

According to the Penal Code Act (PCA), any person who is convicted of murder faces a maximum penalty of death.

Desh and his co-accused are currently out on bail. On January 19, 2013, Desh, the lead suspect, who had been on the run since Kateregga was killed, was arrested at Entebbe Airport on his return from United Kingdom (UK).

Three days later, he was charged before City Hall Court in Kampala and remanded to Luzira Prison for the alleged murder. In the same year, court granted him a cash bail of sh20m.

On May 15, 2014, the accused were sent to the Nakawa division of the High Court for trial by Grade One Magistrate Juliet Hatanga.