Nearly a decade after the assassination of Joan Kagezi, Uganda’s Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, a high-profile case has taken a major step forward. The International Crimes Division of the High Court has confirmed murder and terrorism charges against four individuals accused of orchestrating her killing in March 2015.
On Tuesday, March 25, Justice Alice Khaukha Komuhangi ruled that the prosecution has provided sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to full trial.
Who Are the Accused?
The four suspects—Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, John Kibuuka aka Musa, John Massajjage aka Mubiru Brian, and Nasur Abdallah Mugonole—face charges that could carry maximum sentences of death upon conviction.
Justice Komuhangi noted that all four are believed to have jointly planned and executed the attack on Kagezi under the doctrine of common intention, meaning they all played key roles regardless of who pulled the trigger.
How Joan Kagezi Was Killed
Kagezi was shot dead in Kiwatule, a suburb of Kampala, on March 30, 2015, while driving home with her children. She had stopped at a roadside fruit stall when assailants on motorcycles opened fire, striking her twice—once in the neck and once in the shoulder.
Evidence Connecting the Suspects
Prosecution evidence includes:
- Mobile phone records placing Kibuuka and Massajjage at the crime scene
- A confession by Kiwanuka, linking himself and his co-accused to the attack
- Information about a backup plan by Kiwanuka and Mugonole to aid the killers’ escape
- Visits to a sorcerer in Kayunga to perform rituals allegedly intended to protect them from arrest
Police later traced and interviewed the sorcerer, who confirmed he had conducted the rituals. He identified three of the accused—Kiwanuka, Kibuuka, and Mugonole—in a police lineup.
Trial Ahead
The court has ordered the prosecution to amend the indictment to reflect the correct legal references. As the case moves forward, Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Thomas Jatiko is leading the prosecution team, while the defense is being handled by lawyers Henry Kunya and Elizabeth Nampola.
This trial represents a long-awaited moment of justice in a case that shook Uganda’s justice system and highlighted the dangers faced by its top prosecutors.
As the proceedings unfold, the nation—and Kagezi’s family—wait to see if the accused will finally be held accountable for a killing that stunned the country.
