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UGANDA: Soldier who killed Anglican lay leader jailed for 35 years
Uganda President apologizes to the Anglican community
By Godfrey Olukya
VOL African correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
June 30, 2020
A military court martial in Uganda has sentenced the soldier who recently shot dead an Anglican lay leader to 30 years imprisonment.
The lay leader, identified as Benon Musimenta, was shot dead last Wedneday at 6.40 am as he was carrying his wife on a motorbike to hospital.
The curfew in the country ends at 6.30am, but the soldier thought it was still on.
The court martial sat in Kasese district, 400 kms west of Kampala, the place where the offence was committed.
The convicted soldier has been identified as Abraham Lokwaku. His three colleagues with him while on patrol were each sentenced to 5 year for their failure to report the murder to higher authorities.
The court was presided over by Lt. colonel Felix Nyero who said on pronouncing the sentence; "You killed an innocent person in cold blood. I sentence you to 30 years imprisonment."
Lokwaku had earlier said he had killed Musimenta accidentally.
The wife of the deceased, Allen Musimenta said, "I am not satisfied with the sentence because I lost my husband. The killer deserved the death sentence.''
On Saturday president Museveni apologized to the Anglican community in the country over the killing.
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