How Mzee Magala escaped life sentence in attempted murder case

The High Court in Luwero has spared social media personality Aggrey Magala Balikyewunya, popularly known as Mzee Magala, a possible life sentence after ordering him to pay Shs 33 million in fines and compensation over an attempted murder case.

In a ruling delivered on Thursday, November 12, 2026, the judge fined Magala Shs 3 million and ordered him to compensate the victim, Andrew Akandwanaho, with Shs 30 million for medical expenses.

The court directed Magala to pay Shs 10 million before his release and clear the outstanding Shs 23 million within one year after leaving prison.

The judge also sentenced Magala to two years in prison if he fails to pay the Shs 3 million fine.

Magala faced a possible life sentence after the court found him guilty of attempted murder under Section 204 of Uganda's Penal Code Act.

However, the judge considered his age, poor health, family responsibilities and lack of previous convictions before handing him a non-custodial sentence.

The court heard that Magala, 50, suffers from diabetes and supports his wife and 10-year-old child. His family also needs shelter following a fire that destroyed their home in Luwero.

In his plea for leniency, Magala argued that he did not fire the gun that injured the complainant.

The judge acknowledged that Magala had not pulled the trigger but found that his actions contributed to the violence.

The case arose from an April 13, 2022 confrontation at Christopher and David Farm in Kanyale village, Nakaseke district.

Magala had taken surveyors and armed security guards to the disputed land to reopen its boundaries while the complainant occupied the property.

A confrontation broke out when farm workers resisted the exercise, and Akandwanaho, a farm manager, sustained gunshot wounds.

The court found that Magala's negligence exposed the victim to life-threatening injuries.

Medical officers classified the wounds as grievous harm. The judge observed that Akandwanaho still struggles to walk more than four years after the incident.

The victim has developed a permanent disability and continues to require treatment. Medical examinations also revealed metal fragments lodged in his thigh.

The judge said these injuries demonstrated the seriousness of the offence and justified compensation for the victim.

However, the court ruled that a life sentence would be excessive because Magala had no previous convictions, did not personally shoot the complainant and had presented mitigating circumstances.

Prosecutors initially charged Magala alongside security guard Daniel Omara, but they later dropped the charges against Omara.

Magala had remained on remand since November 5, 2026, when the court sent him to prison ahead of the ruling.

The judgment also comes days after a suspected arson attack destroyed his family home in Luwero on November 8.

His wife and children escaped the fire without injuries, but the blaze destroyed household property and left the family in need of shelter.

Presidential Assistant on Service Delivery Yiga Kisakyamukama has since announced that President Yoweri Museveni pledged to renovate the damaged house.

The ruling now gives Magala a chance to regain his freedom, provided he meets the court's initial payment conditions.