Kitatta's brother jailed 25 years for kidnap, murder, robbery of Case Hospital accountant

The High Court in Entebbe has sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, Huzailu Kiwalabye , the brother to former Boda Boda 2010 patron Abdalla Kitatta after being convicted over murder and robbery of Case Hospital accountant Francis Ekalungar.

Ekalungar was kidnapped  in January 2018 along Buganda road as he proceeded to deposit shs15 million on Case Hospital Dfcu bank account  and killed.

The body  was later dumped in Kajjansi after being burnt beyond recognition.

Police together with sister security agencies later arrested Muzamiru Mawa, a former driver to Case Hospital proprietor, Dr.Ssebale Kato,Resty Nalunga, Huzailu Kiwalabye and Deo Yiga.

On Thursday, Justice Yasin Nyanzi sentenced Mawa, who was the ringleader in the kidnap, murder and robbery of the accountant to life imprisonment for playing a leading role in the gruesome crime.

“I only find that I should spare him the death punishment but keep him for the rest of his human life in prison,” Justice Nyanzi said.

Consequently, Mawa who pleaded guilty to masterminding the crime will spend the rest of his life one earth in prison.

The judge also sentenced Huzairu Kiwalabye(Kitatta’s brother) to 25 years imprisonment for the role he played in the kidnap , murder and subsequent robbery of the Case Hospital accountant .

Justice Yasin Nyanzi noted that he would have given a harsher sentence to Kiwalabye but said he had considered the fact that he had been tortured during arrest and while in detention and consequently, he deducted the three years and eight months spent on remand to jail him 21 years and four months.

The court also sentenced Resty Nalunga and Deo Yiga to five and seven years’ imprisonment respectively for their respective roles in the crime.

Justice Nyanzi said the convicts worked as a group to ensure their mission was a success and consequently deserved such a punishment.

He relied on the police evidence that linked the group’s movements and phone communication and placed them at different locations including Buganda Road where the deceased was kidnapped,  Buziga, Kagwa tombs, Mutungo and eventually at Kajjansi where the body was dumped and burnt beyond recognition.

According to the judge, although each had a different role, the convicts had a common mission to kidnap, rob and kill the accountant.