Man goes for 22 years without trial

Mr. Twinomugisha, who has never been brought to trial, is now contesting the delayed trial before the High Court in Kampala. 

He is accused of fatally shooting Maria Mirindi Birungi Katasi, a third year Social Sciences student, her cousin Corporal Mirindi Amooti Kajabagu a law student in his fourth year and Richard Tumwesigye, a law student in his third year. 

In 1999, the shootings of the three deceased student struck headlines across the country with bloody accounts of a murder most foul. 

“My brother, corporal Kajabagu along with our cousin Katasi and their friend Tumwesigye were returning from a law dinner and when they reached the eastern gate of the university, Twinomugisha allegedly opened fire on them,” said a family member. 

This family member claims Twinomujuni was a hitman who was assigned to kill his brother, Corporal Kajabagu, after the latter became a material witness in the double homicide of Tooro kingdom prince Happy Kijanangoma and Stephen Kaganda on March 25, 1999. 

Twinomujuni was a prime suspect in the murder of the Tooro royal and the High Court found him and two others including Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister John Sanyu Katuramu and his nephew Patrick Kwezi guilty. 

They were both sentenced to death. 

However, these sentences were later commuted to 20 years imprisonment after a Supreme Court ruling involving Ms. Susan Kigula as the lead applicant in a case that led to the abolition of the mandatory death penalty in Uganda. 

The Director Public Prosecution’s Office (DPP), which is responsible for criminal prosecutions, said it will trace Mr. Twinomujuni’s file and look into his 22-year-old detention without trial. 

Uganda’s government has, however, said that some detentions are necessary on national security grounds and so it remains to be seen if Twinomujuni’s detention is an example of the same.