Assessors Recommend Guilty Verdict for Three Suspects in Joan Kagezi Murder Trial

The pursuit of justice in the high-profile assassination of former Senior Principal State Attorney Joan Namazzi Kagezi has reached a crucial milestone. Court assessors sitting at the International Crimes Division of the High Court in Kampala have formally advised trial judges to convict three men accused of participating in the March 2015 murder, concluding that the state proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Delivering a joint opinion on behalf of the lay assessors, Ms. Judith Muhairwe pointed to John Kibuuka, John Massajjage, and Nasur Abdallah Mugonole for conviction on murder charges. A fourth co-accused, Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison after agreeing to testify as a state witness.

Kagezi was shot dead on the evening of March 30, 2015, in the Kampala suburb of Kiwatule as she headed home with her children. At the time of her death, she was leading the prosecution in the high-stakes trial stemming from the July 2010 Kampala twin bombings. The prosecution argued that the killing was a calculated hit designed to intimidate authorities and disrupt major terrorism prosecutions.

During the trial, compelling technical evidence was presented, including cell-tower logs placing phone numbers registered to Kibuuka and Massajjage at the crime scene during the exact time of the shooting. Eyewitness accounts detailed how Kibuuka allegedly shot Kagezi through her vehicle window before fleeing on a motorcycle ridden by Massajjage. The assessors also noted that the attackers acted with clear malice aforethought, planning the ambush and later visiting a traditional healer in Kayunga District to perform cleansing rituals.

With the advisory opinion now on record, the case awaits a final verdict from a panel of four High Court justices led by Principal Judge Emeritus Andrew Bashaija, alongside Justices Richard Wejuli Wabwire, Joyce Kavuma, and Duncan Gaswaga. Read more details of the court proceedings in the Daily Monitor report.