The territorial police in Kampala Metropolitan have charged two foster parents of American origin to Buganda Road Court with the Aggravated torture of their 10-year-old son.

Enanga Fred, the Police Spokesperson, revealed in a statement that the facts gathered indicate that Nicholas Spencer,32 and his wife Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer,32, adopted 3 children, including Kayima John from Welcome Ministry in Jinja City in 2018.

According to Enanga, between the year, 2020 and December 2022, the couple constantly tortured Kayima John, a 10-year-old pupil at Dawn Children’s Center in Ntinda, which attracted the attention of neighbours and they alerted the police at Kira Road Division and investigations started.

Enanga added that a police team of investigators established that the couple kept the victim barefoot and naked throughout the day, served cold meals from the fridge, and made him sleep on a wooden platform without a mattress or beddings.

According to the police statement, the suspects came to Uganda in 2017, and started working with Akola Project, based in Jinja. They later moved with their 3 children to Upper Naguru in Kampala where they joined Motive Creation Agency.

Enanga appreciated the neighbours, teachers and the victim for taking the courage to stand-up against acts of child torture and further called upon all probation officers and social workers to continuously monitor the well-being of children in foster homes.

Police in Sheema district are holding a 32-year-old woman in connection with alleged murder of her husband.

Martial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi region police spokesperson confirmed the incident and identified the suspect as Tushemerirwe Scovia while the deceased was identified as Tumwijukye Tom,37, a resident of Kashasha cell, Kashekuro parish, Kitagata sub-county in Sheema district.

It is alleged that on Sunday, 11/12/2022, the deceased had a fight with his wife and he chased her away from his home with an axe.

In the evening hours the man went to the trading center for drink alcohol and came back home late at around 10:00 pm and found his wife already sleeping and he slept too.

And around 03:00am on Monday night, unknown assailants broke into the house through the window, picked the axe and hit the deceased on the head and ran away leaving him unconscious.

The wife made an alarm that attracted her mother in law and the area L C I chairman and they rushed the deceased to KIU hospital Ishaka where he was pronounced dead. 

Tumusiime added that the deceased was found with multiple cut injuries on the fore head, it was established that the couple has had longtime-existing domestic violence.

Tumusiime noted that there was no sign of breaking into the house as alleged by the wife to deceased which prompted the arrest of Tushemerirwe as investigations into the matter continue.

Local council chairpersons and Village Health Teams (VHTs) in Kanoni sub-county in Kazo district have decried delayed payment of their allowances which they worked for during the Polio and Rubella immunization exercise in the months of September and October this year.

During a meeting for all local council chairpersons held at Kanoni sub-county headquarters on Monday, the leaders noted that they have been given no explanation about this delay yet those in other districts have already received their allowances.

The VHTs and village chairpersons said the district leaders are also not providing clear explanations on when and how much they are supposed to be paid so they want the district through their sub-county chief to work on their payment before this weekend.

Ngabirano Innocent, the chairperson Ntungamo Village and chairperson for all chairpersons in Kazo district explained that he tried his level best and failed to know what caused the delay noting that he even consulted the LC V chairperson Rev Samuel Mugisha Katugunda and told his colleagues that he also failed.

In response, Mugizi Victor, the Kanoni sub-county chief and mediator between the chairpersons and the district leaders attributed the delay to the fact that Kazo is a new district without the paying system in place.

Mugizi asked chairpersons to be patient and assured them that the district is in the process of paying their money via the numbers they registered on mobile money through electronic payment.

Police in Bushenyi are hunting for unknown assailants for the alleged murder of a 40 year old man.

Martial Tumusiime, the greater Bushenyi Region Police Spokesperson confirmed the incident and identified the deceased as Asiimwe Gilbert Bashiru, a resident of kambuzi cell, Kigoma-kizinda town council, Bushenyi district.

Tumusiime revealed that the incident happened on Sunday night along Kizinda -Nyabubare murram road, 200 metres from Bushenyi -Kasese High way.

It is alleged that the deceased together with other three people went to announce the death of their neighbor to the area LC I chairperson at around 11:30pm and on their way back they met with assailants who were armed with sticks and knives.

They attacked the deceased together with his three neighbours and beat them up with sticks.

The deceased tried to fight them and in the process, he was stabbed with a sharp object on left shoulder, he ran while bleeding and collapsed at a distance of 100 meters from scene and died.

Tumusiime noted that the body was removed and taken to Kampala International University teaching hospital for postmortem as investigations into the matter continue.

The high court in Bushenyi district has sentenced a 46-year-old priest to 28 years in Nyamushekyera government prison on charges of aggravated defilement.

Court presided over by Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma, on Wednesday heard that Rev. Muhwezi Gordon, a priest at Nyarutuntu Church of Uganda in Mitooma district committed the offence in May 2021.

Justice Kavuma found that Rev. Muhwezi, a resident of Nyakishojwa Central cell, Nyakishojwa parish, Mitooma sub-county in Mitooma district was guilty of performing a sexual act on a twelve-year-old girl and impregnating her.

Rev. Muhwezi reportedly used his position to sexually abuse the underage girl when her parents trusted him as her spiritual father.

Justice Kavuma proved beyond reasonable doubt and convicted him to 28 years of imprisonment for others to learn.

“This court has found that Rev. Muhwezi has no past criminal record but also the court has a mandate to protect these young girls. The court has to give Rev. Muhwezi a heavy sentence to keep him away from the society and I found a 28-year jail sentence very appropriate for the convict but also you have a right to appeal over this sentence,” said Lady Justice Kavuma.

Rev. Muhwezi on his part asked court to produce the victim in court and have her testify against him.

“This court should repeat the process and bring the girl whom you alleged that I defiled to testify against me and secondly this court should give a small sentence and a small fine so that I pay and go back home to look after my family,” said Rev Muhwezi.

 The same court is set to try cases of gender sexual violence in Greater Bushenyi region for 45 days.

Drug abuse, poverty, diseases and economic hard times have been highlighted as some of the major causes of gender-based violence in Bushenyi district.

The revelation was made by Rachel Busingye, a paralegal advocate from the foundation for human Rights initiative (FHRI) while opening up Civic Awareness session training for local leaders in Nyakabirizi division, Bushenyi-Ishaka municipality.

Counsel Joash Tamale, the legal officer at FHRI said they are aiming at intensifying Civic Awareness sessions across the region of greater Bushenyi, providing prolific legal aid to vulnerable suspects, routine monitoring of the rights of the suspects and inmates at police and prisons among others. 

Nyansio Biryomumaisho, the LC3 chairperson for Nyakabirizi division asked the organization to take their training to people in the remote villages where they lack the knowledge on how such foundations can be resourceful.

The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative is a non-governmental organization that aims at providing free legal services to prisoners, justice seekers and suspects on small offences.

The Court of Appeal has commenced thirty days of criminal appeals session at Mbarara High Court, to hear cases of 50 appellants.

This includes 21 cases of aggravated defilement, 5 cases of Robbery, 16 murder cases, 7 cases of rape and 1 case of attempted murder, forgery, and theft each.

The session was formally flagged off by the Deputy chief justice, Justice Richard Buteera at Mbarara Main Prison.

The court of Appeal session will be handled by Justices; Eva Luswata, Kibedi Muzamir (head of the panel), Christopher Gashirabake.

Justice Kibedi Muzamir, the head of the panel says the rights of the appellants have been violated since the judiciary can’t speed up the hearing of the cases.

He added that the delay puts a shame on the nation which is not able to live up to the standard requirements of the Constitution.

Deputy Chief justice Richard Buteera noted that the country still faces congestion in prisons as the biggest challenge but the judiciary is trying it’s best to work on it as one of the measures to solve the problem.

Buteera also noted that a decision has been taken to have regional courts of Appeal and constitution in Mbarara noting that they await approval of Cabinet and Parliament to approve an increase on the current number of Justices from 15 to 56.