Two Sentenced to Death, Seven Handed Life in Susan Magara Murder

In a stern conclusion to one of the most chilling kidnap-for-ransom trials in East African history, the High Court of Uganda has sentenced two individuals to death by hanging and handed seven co-convicts life imprisonment for the brutal 2018 murder of 28-year-old cashier Susan Magara.

Delivering the final verdict, Presiding Judge Alex Mackay Ajiiji sentenced Hajara Nakandi and Musa Abaas Buwembo to death, confirming that their roles in the premeditated torture, mutilation, and eventual killing of Magara warranted the maximum penalty allowed by law. Seven other members of the criminal syndicate were sentenced to serve life in prison.

In an unprecedented financial directive, Justice Ajiiji also ordered the immediate confiscation, auction, and transfer of all proceeds from land, houses, and vehicles purchased using the $200,000 (roughly UGX 700 million) ransom money directly to Susan Magara’s grieving family.

Justice Ajiiji emphasized that the asset forfeiture order was designed to guarantee that none of the convicts, nor their associates, ever enjoy the rewards of their callous crime.

Court proceedings laid bare the horrific final days of Susan Magara, who was abducted in Mengo, Kampala, on February 7, 2018, and held captive across multiple safe houses for 20 days.

During sentencing, state prosecutors detailed how Musa Abaas Buwembo played a direct, physical role in the torture and execution of the victim:

 Mutilation for Extortion: Buwembo personally severed two of Magara’s fingers, which were packaged alongside a recorded plea for her life and delivered to her family to force rapid ransom payment.

 Lethal Execution: After the $200,000 ransom was delivered by her desperate family, Buwembo injected Magara with ketamine to incapacitate her before suffocating her to death using a plastic bag, locally known as a kaveera.

 Disposal of Body: Her body was subsequently dumped along the Kampala–Entebbe Expressway at Kigo in Wakiso District on February 27, 2018.

Lead State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo revealed that Yusuf Lubega acted as the principal mastermind and operational coordinator, orchestrating surveillance on Magara alongside co-convict Lugoloobi prior to her abduction. Kyomuhendo argued that the group had countless opportunities to abort the crime, but chose cold-blooded execution to eliminate witnesses and cover their tracks.

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Before sentencing was passed, members of the Magara family offered emotional testimony describing the permanent scar left by her loss.

Flora Magara, an aunt speaking on behalf of her parents John and Immaculate Magara, tearfully urged the court to deliver the ultimate penalty. She told the court that Susan was murdered at a young age in the most brutal manner possible, stating that the family continues to grieve daily and praying that the court impose the death penalty to deliver true justice.

In response, defense attorney Richard Kumbuga pleaded for leniency, pointing out that the convicts were first-time offenders and family breadwinners whose long incarceration would adversely affect young children. While acknowledging the horrific suffering Magara endured, Kumbuga asked the judge to temper justice with mercy.

Ultimately, Justice Ajiiji ruled that the premeditated cruelty, torture, and utter lack of remorse displayed by the syndicate outweighed any mitigating circumstances for the primary perpetrators.