Warder gets death, magistrate wins Shs 20m as Watoto beats heritage listing

Uganda’s courts delivered several consequential decisions last week: a prison warder was sentenced to death for killing four people, a magistrate won Shs 20 million in a defamation case against his mother and brother, the High court overturned the government’s listing of Watoto Church property as a protected historical and cultural site, and Bryan White secured mandatory bail after 293 days on remand.

**WARDER SENTENCED TO DEATH **

The most severe punishment came in Kiboga, where the High court sentenced prison warder Moses Anguyo to death after he admitted killing four people, including two prison officers and the wife and toddler son of his officer in charge.

Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga imposed the death sentence on four counts of murder, finding that the killings fell among the rare cases warranting capital punishment. The victims were ASP Catherine Hope; Principal Officer Akishuri Bright, the Deputy Officer in Charge of Kiboga Government Prison; Sarah Ayebare, wife of Kiboga Prison Officer in Charge SP Ivan Niwagaba; and their one-and-ahalf-year-old son, Salson Niwagaba.

They were shot dead on February 23, 2026, while Anguyo was on sentry duty. He had reportedly become angry after being reprimanded for using his phone while carrying a firearm.

Anguyo initially denied the murder charges. But after two prosecution witnesses had testified, he changed his plea. He also admitted two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of threatening violence against his supervisor.

His guilty plea, expression of remorse, status as a first offender and responsibility for six children were not enough to persuade the judge to reduce the sentence. Justice Kajuga instead weighed the deliberate nature of the killings and the fact that two victims were prison officers killed while performing their duties.

The judge also found evidence pointing to ethnic hostility as a possible motive, citing remarks Anguyo had made about being interested only in people from western Uganda and not civilians.

She held that such conduct was inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee against discrimination. Anguyo received an additional two years for each aggravated robbery count and three years for threatening violence, with the sentences running concurrently.

Five months spent on remand were deducted from the sentences. He was also ordered to compensate the robbery victims and given 14 days to appeal.

**MAGISTRATE WINS SHS 20M CASE AGAINST MOTHER **

In Jinja, a bitter family dispute over a deceased man’s estate spilled into court and ended with a sitting magistrate winning Shs 20 million in general damages against his mother and brother.

Magistrate Steven Johnson Waidhuuba sued Lovisa Ayazika and Andrew Balondemu over allegations arising from a dispute involving their late father’s property, including land in Kasolo, Bwanalira village, Iganga district.

The defendants had accused Waidhuuba of forging powers of attorney and a will to take control of their father’s property and bank account.

The allegations were communicated to the Judicial Service Commission and criminal investigation authorities before spreading online through social media, WhatsApp groups and media publications.

Justice Joanita Bushara found that the allegations portrayed Waidhuuba as dishonest and a criminal and called his integrity as a judicial officer into question. Although complaints made to public authorities could ordinarily enjoy qualified privilege, the judge found that protection had been lost because the publications were made with malice.

The Judicial Service Commission subsequently cleared Waidhuuba of the allegations, but the court found that their continued availability online prolonged the reputational harm.

Beyond the Shs 20 million award, the court permanently barred Ayazika and Balondemu from repeating the allegations and ordered them to publish a written retraction and apology through the same channels used to disseminate the claims.

They must also meet the costs of the case. The damages will attract six per cent interest from the date of judgment.

**COURT OVERTURNS WATOTO CHURCH HERITAGE LISTING **

Elsewhere, the court quashed the government’s decision to list property occupied by Watoto Church Ministries and Kampala Playhouse Limited as a protected historical and cultural site, finding the designation unlawful, irrational and procedurally improper.

The dispute concerned Plots 87 and 89 Kampala Road and Plots 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 Buganda Road. Represented by ALP Advocates, the applicants argued that the minister responsible had exceeded his legal powers and failed to consult them before designating the property.

Justice Bonny Isaac Teko found no evidence that the required departmental recommendation, consultation and Cabinet approval had been obtained. The government had also failed to demonstrate a rational basis for treating the property as a former cinema, considering its longstanding use as a church.

The judge held that the applicants should have been given an opportunity to make representations before a decision affecting their property was taken.

The court also rejected an affidavit filed by the Attorney General about three months after a court-imposed deadline, finding that it was improperly before the court. It consequently quashed the designation, declared it unlawful, prohibited its enforcement and ordered the Attorney General to pay the applicants’ costs.

**BRYAN WHITE GRANTED MANDATORY BAIL **

In another decision, Kirumira Bryan, alias Bryan White, secured mandatory bail after spending 293 days on remand without being committed to the High court for trial.

Justice Gadenya Paul Wolimbwa found that Bryan had exceeded the 180-day constitutional period within which a person charged with an offence triable only by the High court may be held without committal.

Bryan was arrested on November 13, 2025, and jointly charged with four others before the Chief Magistrate’s court at Makindye on six counts, including human sacrifice, manslaughter, rash and negligent acts, possession of a narcotic drug, conspiracy to commit a felony and giving false information.

The prosecution pointed to the seriousness of the allegations, Bryan’s medical condition and fears that he could interfere with witnesses. But the court held that those considerations could not override the constitutional right once the prescribed period had expired.

His freedom came with restrictions. Bryan had proposed living in Badongo village, which prosecutors identified as the alleged scene of the offence. The judge directed him to reside elsewhere within the court’s jurisdiction and barred him from accessing the premises without permission.

Bryan was also required to deposit Shs 10 million in court and present two substantial sureties, each bound at Shs 50 million on a non-cash basis. The court provisionally accepted two of his three proposed sureties pending verification.

The third was rejected after the court found insufficient evidence of her financial capacity and relationship with the accused.

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