The High court has sentenced Abdul Swamadu Muyomba to six months in Luzira prison for failing to produce a suspect for whom he stood surety.
This is in connection with a case where eight individuals are facing charges for the 2016 murder of Maj. Muhammad Kiggundu and his bodyguard, Sgt. Steven Mukasa.
Muyomba was jailed after admitting he could not pay the Shs 250 million recognizance he had committed to in case the suspect, Bruhan Balyejusa Kalyango, absconded. The decision was made by a panel of four justices led by Susan Okalany, following a request by assistant director of public prosecutions, Thomas Jatiko. The other judges on the panel were Boniface Wamala, Vincent Wagona, and Alice Komuhangi Khauka.
The court has also issued criminal summons for two other individuals who stood surety for Balyejusa, requiring them to explain why they should not be imprisoned as well. Under the law, if an accused person flees, their surety is obligated to report to court and pay the pledged amount; failure to do so results in imprisonment.
Additionally, the court has issued an arrest warrant for Balyejusa, who has failed to appear in court multiple times since being granted bail. The other suspects in the murder case include: Sheikh Yahaya Mwanje, Yusuf Nyanzi, Mohammed Buyondo alias Matiya, Abdu Wahab Sendegeya, Musa Ssekandi alias Masanafu, Jibril Kalyango alias Bin Suleiman and Noordin Lutaya alias Ibrahim Ssemwanga alias Superman
According to available evidence, the prime suspect, Sheikh Yahaya Mwanje, was seen near Northern Bypass shortly before Kiggundu and Mukasa were murdered in Masanafu, a Kampala suburb, on November 26, 2016.
Prior to the attack, Mwanje had allegedly released recordings containing hate speech directed at Kiggundu. Records from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) indicate that Kiggundu had previously reported threats from Mwanje, who was allegedly in constant communication with his co-accused.
The call logs of these conversations were reportedly deleted immediately after they occurred. The prosecution argues that Mwanje, the former head of Nakasero Mosque, was involved in a dispute with Kiggundu and other Muslim clerics over mosque leadership and management, which led to the fatal attack.
Balyejusa is the second person to abscond from a high-profile murder case. A few years ago, Shafique Kasujja fled while facing trial for the 2017 murder of former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi, along with Balyejusa and other co-accused. Kaweesi was assassinated on March 17, 2017, alongside his bodyguards Kenneth Erau and Godfrey Mambewa.
Balyejusa’s disappearance has further complicated Kaweesi’s murder case, leaving it short of two key suspects, as he was facing charges in both Kiggundu’s and Kaweesi’s murder cases.
But its now complicated, the man murders kiggundu in 2016, maybe he was on remand but he again murders kaweesi 2017.
If i may ask, well maybe he was on mission from Luzira to come out and finish off kaweesi, then go back, bcoz he had done a job be4, on kiggundu, so knew how, only needed protection.