A state witness at the special High Court trying Moses Anguyo, a prison warder accused of shooting and killing four people, including his two bosses, has narrated the circumstances under which the gun believed to have been used in the murder was acquired.
The witness, Cpl Joseph Emadit, Uganda Prisons staff attached to Kiboga Central Prisons and head of the armoury, told court on Friday that the suspect signed for the gun with 30 rounds of ammunition at about 6:45 am on February 23, 2026, shortly before the shooting incident.
Cpl Emadit, who claimed that he arrived at his duty station at around 5:30 am, told the trial Judge Jane Okuo Kajuga that he assessed Anguyo's state of mind before handing him the gun registration number UG POL 565824781, which has now been exhibited in court.
“When prison warder Moses Anguyo knocked at my office door, I allowed him to enter and later made the entries into the armoury book. I first confirmed that the right details had been entered. I also corrected some 2-digit numbers in the gun registration number that I had entered into the armoury book before Anguyo signed for the gun. I had earlier made an assessment on Anguyo’s condition as required before handing over the gun,” Cpl Emiat, who is the second state witness in the case, told the Court.
He explained that Anguyo reportedly left the armoury office at 6:45 after signing for a gun that had 30-bullets and a magazine.
At the station, Cpl Emadit said he was the only officer in charge of the prison armoury. The witness was being cross-examined by defence lawyers.
He told court that he checked out at Kiboga Central Prison at about 9:00 am for another deployment at a farm where prisoners had been deployed for garden work. This was a part-time deployment and not his routine duty (Kibaluwa).
Cpl Emadit, who was not within the prisons, told court that he did not witness the killing, but rushed back to find out what had happened on receiving the news, which he described as shocking.
Asked about how he was able to know that the recovered gun had only 16-bullets, Cpl Emadit explained that the police that had recovered the gun allowed him to check it since it was already under their custody at Kiboga Central Police.
The special High Court session in the trial of suspects that include prison warder Moses Anguyo, Peter Anziku, Peter Anziku (alias) Dickson Okwonzi and Hellen Amviko is expected to resume on August 31, 2026, with witness cross-examination.
Offence particulars
It is the prosecution's case that Prison Warder No. 13544, Moses Anguyo, while at Kiboga Hospital Road on February 23, 2026, with malice aforethought, unlawfully caused the death of Prison Officer Bright Akishuri, contrary to Sections 171 and 172 of the Penal Code.
Anguyo, with malice aforethought, is also accused of unlawfully causing the deaths of Sarah Ayebare, Alson Niwagaba and ASP Hope Catherine on February 23, 2026, contrary to Section 171 of the Penal Code.
Anguyo also faces two charges of aggravated robbery and another charge of threatening violence. It is alleged that on February 23, 2026, while at the Saza Shops in Kiboga Town Council, Kiboga District, the suspect robbed Grace Katusiime of a pair of black jeans and, at or immediately before or after the robbery, used a deadly weapon, an SMG rifle No. UG POL 565824781-32635, against Ms Katusiime.
Anguyo also, with intent to intimidate or annoy SP Ivan Niwagaba, allegedly threatened to shoot or kill him while at Kiboga Government Prison on February 23, 2026, contrary to Section 77(a) of the Penal Code, Cap 128.
The charges against Moses Anguyo's co-accused are that Peter Anziku, Peter Anziku alias Dickson Okwonzi and Hellen Amviko, between February 23 and March 27, 2026, while at different locations within Uganda and being relatives of Prison Warder No. 13544 Moses Anguyo, who was accused of murder, jointly coordinated and assisted him to escape being charged with murder, to the prejudice of ASP Catherine Hope, Bright Akishuri, Sarah Ayebare and Salson Niwagaba.
The trial, according to a section of residents and stakeholders in Kiboga District, could answer the many unanswered questions that have for months left relatives of the deceased, Uganda Prisons staff and the public in Kiboga demanding quick justice, especially since the prime suspect in the alleged murders was already in custody.
On February 23, 2026, early morning gunshots that later ended the lives of four people sent residents into panic as Moses Anguyo, the prime suspect, allegedly moved with the weapon and reportedly robbed an assortment of items from retail shops. Anguyo later abandoned the weapon before disappearing without a trace.
Eyewitnesses said ASP Hope Catherine died on the spot after the shooting at the prison facility, while Principal Warder Bright Akishuri and Sarah Ayebare died a few minutes after being evacuated to Kiboga Hospital. A one-year-old child identified as Salmon Niwagaba sustained serious bullet wounds and later succumbed to his injuries at Kiboga Hospital, hours later.
After his escape, Moses Anguyo was later arrested in Aru, Democratic Republic of Congo, before being extradited to Uganda to face trial. He was arrested on March 27, 2026, in a coordinated joint operation involving security agencies from Uganda and the DRC.
