By This verdict was handed down by Mukono High Court’s Justice Henry Kaweesa Isabirye on Tuesday, following the murder conviction of Dr. Mathew Kirabo. The court took into consideration Kirabo’s status as a first-time offender and stated that he should be allowed to reform.
Despite this, the judge ruled that Kirabo should serve a significant prison sentence. Taking into account the one month and seven days that Kirabo had already spent on remand, the court ordered him to serve the remaining 29 years, 10 months, and 23 days in Luzira prison.
Dr. Kirabo emphasized his deep sorrow for the loss of Mirembe and extended his condolences to her grieving family.
He acknowledged the tragedy of a young life being prematurely taken away and expressed remorse for not being able to personally mourn her due to his current situation of being in prison.
He however revealed that he had taken active steps to uncover the truth and prove his innocence. He stated that he had hired private investigators to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mirembe’s death. According to him, their findings would have shed light on what truly happened and hopefully absolved him of any wrongdoing.
Through his lawyer, Henry Kunya, Kirabo pleaded for leniency, requesting the court not to impose the maximum penalty of death as sought by the prosecution, but rather grant him a chance to live and reform.
In their submission, the prosecutors, Happiness Ayinebyona and Emily Ninsima presented a compelling argument to the court. They emphasized several key points that they believed warranted the maximum penalty for Kirabo.
“We don’t have any benefit as a family but at least we have come to the end of this journey and we pray that she has peace in eternal life. Justice has been served. I’m not God, so I cannot say he should be murdered too,” Mr. Emmanuel Musoke, the deceased’s father said on Tuesday.
Kirabo was arrested in Kenya by Interpol on September 12, 2023, and extradited to Uganda to complete the trial
