Soldier dismissed from army for defiling Somali girl during AMISOM

The General Court Martial in Makindye has dismissed with disgrace a UPDF soldier found guilty of raping a Somali girl while serving under the AMISOM.

According to evidence before the army court, on September 19 ,2015, Pte Raphael Olinga got a Somali girl identified as Halima Sheikh Mohammed,16 who was grazing goats near a UPDF detachment before defiling her a number of times.

The court based on evidence of the victim and her mother who saw her limping after the cruel act and on examination she found her daughter bleeding in the private parts before dismissing him from the army.

“Your act put the UPDF in bad image as a peacekeeping body,”Lt.Gen.Andrew Guti, the army court chairman said in his ruling and final sentence.

After Olinga’s arrest, his victim was brought for an identification parade from where she singled out the former as being the one who had orchestrated the crime against her while she grazed goats in the field near the army detach.

The offence takes a maximum sentence of life imprisonment but the army court considered a number of issues before reducing it to dismissal with disgrace from the army of their officer.

“However, he is remorseful and young and can change his behaviour. Court has considered the three years he has spent on remand and reduced the punishment,”Lt.Gen.Guti noted.

A few weeks ago, the same court in Makindye dismissed four UPDF soldiers from the army for plotting to attack Kabamba barracks in Mubende district in a bid to overthrow government.

The four including ; Lt Col Philip Frank Eguma 42, Capt. Hillman Bosco Aleper 36, Lt Ronald Waibi Mwavu, 36 and Pt. Kenneth Sekajja,32 pleaded guilty to committing offences related to security when they planned to attack the army installation, charges they admitted before being punished by dismissal with disgrace from the army.

President Museveni and the UPDF leadership have in the past emphasised discipline of the officers in uniform while carrying out their duty .