Man jailed 40 years over kidnap, murder of Maria Nagirinya in 2019

The High Court in Kampala has sentence to 40 years, a man who pleaded guilty to the kidnap and subsequent murder of Maria Nagirinya and her driver, Ronald Kitayimbwa in 2019.

Nagirinya, a former employee of Community Integrated Development Initiative was kidnapped from her gate in Busega Lungujja together with her driver, Kitayimbwa and bodies later recovered in Mukono.

On Monday, Isaac Ssenabulya, alias Kisunsu pleaded guilty to the murder charges before asking court for forgiveness.

“I pray to be forgiven by the family of the deceased people. For the time I have spent in Kigo Prison, I have learnt a lot of things and because of my good behaviors I was given a leadership position in the kitchen,”Ssenabulya told court.

The state asked the maximum sentence of death to be handed to him.

However, on Wednesday morning, Justice Isaac Muwata said the sentence of 40 year jail term for each of the two counts of murder of Kitayimbwa and Nagirinya.

“The murder was so gruesome which sent shock waves throughout the nation and had a big impact on the life of the victims’ families. This was a young man energetic enough to fend for himself through lawful means other than opting to engage in such heinous unlawful acts. It calls for a severe sentence,”Muwata said in his sentence.

“Taking all factors into account, I shall sentence accused number eight to imprisonment for 40 years on each count . The sentences shall run concurrently and the period of remand shall be deducted from the sentence.”