Sheikh Kamoga, 13 others acquitted

Sheikh Yunus Kamoga and co-accused in court on Monday morning August 21. PML Daily photo.

A panel of three High court judges; Ezekiel Muhanguzi Percy Tuhaise and Jane Kiggundu have acquitted the former leader of the Tabliq sect in Uganda, Sheikh Yunus Kamoga on charges of murder.

Delivering the ruling Monday in a highly attended case, inside a tightly guarded court, the judges acquitted Kamoga and his colleagues on grounds that the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused were responsible for the murders of Muslim clerics.

They were henceforth acquitted on grounds that there was no incriminating evidence at all against any of the accused persons to show that any of them participated in the actual murder.

Kamoga and 13 others have been battling charges of terrorism and complicity in the murder of prominent Muslim clerics in the country.

Majority of Kamoga’s co-accused were arrested in January 2015 and indicted for murder of a number of prominent sheikhs including Mustafa Bahiga and Hassan Kirya.

Bahiga was shot dead by unknown assailants riding on a boda boda on December, 24, 2014 at Bwebajja along Entebbe road. Kirya was gunned down on June 30, 2016 in the city suburbs of Bweyogerere in a similar way.

Sheikhs Abdu Kadhir Muwaya was the other individual alleged killed by the Kamoga 14. Another sheikh, Haruna Jemba allegedly escaped death at the hands of the same accused persons.

The other accused men are Sheikh Siraje Kawooya, Murta Mudde Bukenya, Fahad Kalungi, Amir Kinene, Hakim Kinene Muswaswa, Yusuf Kakande, Abdulsalam Sekayanja, Abdulhamid Mubiru Sematimba, Hamza Kasirye, Twaha Ssekitto, Rashid Jjingo, Musa Issa Mubiru, and George William Iga.

Kamoga (in white tunic) and co-accused arriving at the High Court from Luzira Prison on Monday morning, Augus 21. PML Daily photo.

The trial of the 14 kicked off late last year.

During their defence, all the accused persons opted to keep quiet.

The three court assessors in the matter Robert Lubega Sseguya, Judith Muhairwe and Muhammad Ddumba in their unbinding opinion advised the three justices to acquit all the 14 accused persons on grounds that the prosecution evidence was inconsistent.

Details to follow.