Kamuli woman handed 15 years for husband's genital

Suzan Namuganza will serve 15 years in jail for chopping off her husband's generals

A woman in Kamuli who chopped off her husband's genitals has started finding out how valuable the piece of 'work' she maimed is in this part of the country as she starts serving 15 years in jail.

In fact, Moses Kawubanya, whose penis Suzan Namuganza chopped off in explicable fury, feels the sentence is lenient.

He will appeal Kamuli Chief Magistrate Aisha Nabukeera's Friday decision, he says.

Busoga, one of the most productive sub-regions of the country, is reputed for fertility and the men are known to dangle both virility and vitality as their ultimate source of pride.

So it was that when Ms Namuganza was charged with attempted murder and Magistrate Nabukeera determined that the attack on Kawubanya's manhood warranted 15 years in jail, some felt the sentence was harsh.

But the magistrate knew just he ow valuable the severed body part is.

"I sentence you to 15 years imprisonment because you caused a permanent damage on Moses Kawubanya's body," she said in her judgement.

Ms Namuganza had pleaded guilty on her first appearance in court on Thursday, July 4, leaving the magistrate with the simplest of gavel work as she remanded the accused to Kamuli Prison for a day to prepare her judgement.

For attempted murder charge, some will argue that Ms Nabukeera probably considered the guilty plea to lessen the sentence. But not the victim, Kawubanya.

Victim to appeal

Mr Kawubanya says 15 years is a light sentence and he will appeal against it in a higher court.

"I want her to be in jail for life for to be contented because she caused a permanent body damage to me," Kawubanya said.

According to prosecution, the 34-year-old Namuganza on June 10, using a sharp object, cut off her husband's genitals before she fled the family home.

After three weeks of hiding, she was arrested from Namutumba district

The convict was arrested from Buwaga, Bulange Sub-County in Namutumba District at her sister's place where she has been hiding, Police said.

Before the incident, the couple was living together at Busana village, Nabirumba Ward in Nabwigulu Sub-county Kamuli District.

On June 10, in the wee hours, Kawubanya woke up to bathe and went back in bed with a towel wrapped around the waist.

"When their 3-month-old baby started crying, Namuganza woke up and the victim thought she was off to get milk for the baby only return with a knife and jump on him," Micheal Kasadha, rhe Busoga North Region Police publicist, said.

After three weeks in hospital, Kawubanya was discharged on Monday, July 1.

But after the crime comes the punishment and Namuganza is onto a long run.

The magistrate said she can appeal the sentence within 14 days.