Kasubi murders: Former street kid convicted

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The High Court in Kampala has convicted Musa Musasizi, a former street kid, for the murder of his girlfriend, Macklean Ahereza. Musasizi pleaded guilty to strangling Ahereza to death at his home in Mujooba Zone Six, Kasubi Nakulabye, Kampala District.

Upon his arrest in March 2021, Musasizi confessed to not only Ahereza’s murder but also to the murder of several other girls, whose bodies he had dumped in different locations.

The court heard that after committing the crime, Musasizi placed Ahereza’s body in a suitcase and hired Abdul Kasajja, a Boda-boda rider to transport it to Kitooro Zone in Nateete, where he set it on fire using paraffin purchased from Kobil petrol station.

During the trial, it was revealed that Musasizi sold Ahereza’s phone to a third party for 15,000 Shillings. Investigators tracked the phone, leading to Musasizi’s arrest.

He discarded their belongings, including shoes, necklaces, bags, and other accessories, in a pit latrine. The same court sentenced Musasizi’s co-accused, Kasajja to a four-year imprisonment term at Luzira prison for being an accessory to the murder.

Kasajja had pleaded guilty and was awaiting sentencing.  Justice Margaret Mutonyi expressed concern about Kasajja’s failure to inform the police about Musasizi’s actions of dumping and burning the body, stating that it aided the accused in concealing his crime. However, due to the time, Kasajja spent on remand, he will serve 20 months in prison.

Regarding Musasizi, the prosecution had requested the death penalty, but the judge took into account the fact that Musasizi has a wife and child. The judge decided to visit Musasizi’s former residence and speak to his landlord before delivering an appropriate sentence. Musasizi’s defense lawyer, Zephaniah Zzimbe, appealed for mercy, citing Musasizi’s troubled upbringing on the streets and requesting a chance for him to reform.

As a result, Justice Mutonyi instructed the Deputy Registrar, prosecution, defense lawyers, and prison authorities to visit the scene of the crime in Mujooba Zone Six on July 18, 2023. In a separate case, Musasizi was implicated in the murder and burning of four women including Viola Kansiime, Noreen Nabirye, Mclean Ahereza, and Elizabeth Mutesi. CCTV footage released by the police in 2021 showed Musasizi buying fuel that was allegedly used to burn the victims’ bodies.

He was also captured on security cameras purchasing empty plastic bottles, which he placed inside sacks to wrap the bodies before pouring fuel on them. Investigators reported that Musasizi confessed to killing all the women, as well as a three-month-old baby. He had picked up the victims from Makerere Kivuulu and strangled them after having sexual intercourse with them at his rented house in Nakulabye.

Ahereza, the first victim, was three months pregnant at the time and had been abandoned by her boyfriend. Musasizi suspected her of being involved with other men, leading to her murder. Detectives quoted Musasizi as saying that he enjoyed killing the women after having sex with them and found it interesting to witness their struggle to survive. “I enjoyed killing these women after having sex with them. It was interesting seeing them fighting to keep their life,” Musasizi is quoted by a detective in his statement.