UPDF soldier jailed for murder says he killed because of poor training

Private Moses Solomon Omuge, a soldier attached to 37th Battalion, was convicted of murder during a trial held by the 3rd Division Court Martial at the Ngariam sub county headquarters.

Omuge is accused of shooting to death Estakusi Ikabat alias Naboth Opio on December 18, 2021, in Apuuton village, Katakwi district.

The trial Pulse

The prosecution alleged that Omuge, in league with other soldiers, laid an ambush at Achanga where they shot three people suspected of being cattle thieves. The attack killed Ikabat while the two others, Emmanuel Elungat, 24 and Isaac Operemo, 22, suffered injuries.

The prosecutor Maj Jeff Kennedy Aringakech said that Omuge was heard bragging about killing Ikabat soon after he committed the crime. The prosecution also presented five witnesses, including survivors of the shooting and soldiers who manned the ambush at Achanga, who testified that committed the murder.

His defence lawyer Capt Elly Rugyendo told court that the soldier had shot at Ikabat in self-defence, after mistaking the victim for an armed cattle thief neck.

“The accused was trying to defend himself against somebody seen armed with the firearm and in this case, the civilian was armed with a bow and arrow. The deceased found himself in an ambush that was meant to get cattle thieves. Your honour, this was not a case of murder with malice aforethought but the case of mistaken identity,” he argued.

However Col Francis Kateraho, the chairman of the 3rd Division Court Martial. said that the shooting was not only unlawful but it was also evil and jailed him for 35 years.

Kateraho noted that Omuge had been transferred to Ngariam after attempting to kill another person in Okore sub county in November last year.

When all was said and done, Omuge blamed his unlawful act on his poor training. Omuge was integrated into the UPDF in September 2021 after initially being recruited as part of the Local Defense Unit (LDU).