A 24-year-old suspect has been remanded to Mityana Government Prison after admitting to an animal cruelty charge brought through a private prosecution by animal rights lawyers.
The Grade One Magistrate’s Court in Mityana has remanded a 24-year-old man, Mark Mubiru, to Mityana Government Prison on charges of animal cruelty.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Grace Wakooli ordered Mubiru’s detention after he appeared in court to answer allegations of subjecting animals to cruel treatment.
Mubiru’s arraignment followed a private prosecution initiated by lawyers under the Animal Justice Centre, a legal advocacy organization that promotes and protects animal rights in Uganda. The legal team was led by lawyer Edwin Ssemyalo, who accused the suspect of acts that allegedly violated Uganda’s animal protection laws.
During the court session, Magistrate Wakooli read the charge against Mubiru, who admitted to the offence.
However, the magistrate said she required more time to review the circumstances surrounding the matter before delivering a ruling.
“I will require additional time to study the circumstances surrounding this case,” Wakooli said before remanding the accused until the 17th of this month when the case will return to court for further hearing.
Although Mubiru requested to be released on bail, the court declined to consider the application immediately. The magistrate informed him that the request had been made late and directed him to formally present a bail application when he reappears in court on the scheduled date.
The offence is charged under the Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Act, which prohibits acts of cruelty toward animals.
Under the law, it is an offence for any person to beat, kick, ill-treat, overwork, overload, torture, or deliberately provoke an animal in a cruel manner. The law also places responsibility on animal owners who permit such treatment to occur.
It further states that a person commits an offence if, through reckless action or neglect, they cause unnecessary suffering to an animal or allow it to be transported in a way that exposes it to pain or distress.
The Act also criminalizes administering drugs or other harmful substances to animals without a valid reason. In addition, it is unlawful to subject an animal to surgical or physical operations without proper care and humane consideration.
Anyone who kills an animal in an unnecessarily cruel manner also commits an offence under the law.
Previously, the law provided for a fine not exceeding one thousand shillings, imprisonment of up to three months, or both upon conviction. However, the penalties were later revised through the Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023.
Under the amendment, fines for offences under Cap 39 of the Animals (Prevention of Cruelty) Act were increased from one thousand shillings to one hundred and twenty thousand shillings. The revision was introduced to strengthen enforcement and provide stronger deterrence against cruelty to animals.
Ssemyalo said the case highlights persistent challenges in enforcing animal protection laws in Uganda, including limited enforcement mechanisms and outdated provisions that have made compliance and prosecution difficult.
“This case highlights the urgent need to strengthen enforcement and update animal protection laws to reflect current realities,” he said.
The case will resume on the 17th, when the court is expected to further consider Mubiru’s bail application and continue hearing the substantive charges.