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The suspects in the senior prosecutor Joan Namazzi Kagezi murder case are Wednesday expected to be committed to the High Court for trial.

On Monday, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Thomas Jatiko informed the court that investigations into the matter are complete and committal papers are ready for purposes of sending the accused to the High Court for trial.

The accused persons are Daniel Kisekka, 43, John Kibuuka alias Musa, 32, John Masajjage alias Brian Mubiru alias Badru alias Chongo, 50 and Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, 39.

The four men, accused of murdering Kagezi have this morning been produced at Nakawa Court by prison authorities.

They are expected to be committed to the High Court to stand trial by Chief Magistrate Erias Kakooza.

The suspects are battling charges of terrorism, contrary to sections 7 (1)(a) and 2 (b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002 and murder, contrary to sections 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act.

The offences of terrorism and murder attract a maximum punishment of death on conviction.

Kagezi, the former acting Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), was gunned down in her vehicle on the evening of March 30, 2015, in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb.

The assailants trailed Kagezi, the mother of four, and shot her when she stopped to buy fruits in Kiwatule, a suburb in Kampala.

An eye witness said: “The gunshots sounded like a car tyre that had burst. I could see Kagezi struggling for her life as she held her neck, which was bleeding profusely”.

Kagezi was just minutes away from her residence. Two spent cartridges were recovered from the crime scene.

When the accused were arrested in November last year, President Yoweri Museveni said the assailants were riding on two motorcycles.

According to the charge sheet sanctioned by the DPP, on November 3, 2023, Kibuuka and Mugonole have been serving a jail term following their conviction for aggravated robbery, while Masajjage has been on remand pending trial on the same charge.

Kibuuka has been at Kigo Prison, while Masajjage and Mugonole have been at Kitalya Prison. On the other hand, Kisekka has been a charcoal burner and a resident of Nsanvu village in Kitimbwa town council, Kayunga district.

Allegations

Prosecution alleges that the four and others still at large on March 30, 2015, at Kiwatule in Nakawa division, Kampala, with malice aforethought, unlawfully caused the death of Kagezi.

In regard to terrorism, the prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large, to influence the Government or intimidate the public for religious, economic, or social aims indiscriminately without due regard to the safety of others attacked Kagezi and murdered her.

At the time of her murder, Kagezi had applied for the position of a High Court judge. She was also the lead prosecutor in the Kampala 2010 twin bombing case before Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, now the current Chief Justice.

Born on July 14, 1967, in Luteete, Rakai district, Kagezi also worked with the Kenyan and Tanzanian law enforcement agencies at the initial stages of the investigations into the Kampala bombing by Al-Shabaab terrorists.  

Over 76 people were killed in the attacks and some of the perpetrators have since been convicted and are serving life imprisonment.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions holds Kagezi memorial lecture annually to remember and pay tribute to her life and work as a senior prosecutor.