The International Crimes Division of Uganda’s High Court has sentenced Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, a former UPDF deserter, to 35 years in prison for the 2015 assassination of Senior Principal State Attorney Joan Namazzi Kagezi. The ruling, delivered on May 19, 2025, marks a significant step toward resolving one of Uganda’s most prominent unsolved murders.
Kisekka, a charcoal burner from Nsava village, Kayunga District, secured a plea bargain with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, pleading guilty to murder in exchange for dropped terrorism charges. The court learned that Kisekka, alongside John Kibuuka, John Masajjage, and Nasur Abdullah Mugonole, plotted Kagezi’s killing, mistakenly believing she was a judge meddling in Muslim affairs. Each received UGX 500,000 for the act. Kagezi was the lead prosecutor in the 2010 Kampala twin bombings case, involving Muslim suspects.
On March 30, 2015, Kagezi was fatally shot in the neck by Kibuuka in Kiwatule while buying fruit, her children in the car witnessing the attack. The group, using two boda-bodas, had tailed her from Kyebando. Kisekka supplied the murder weapon, one of five AK-47 rifles he stole from the UPDF, which he used in prior armed robberies with his accomplices. Arrested in 2008 after a botched robbery, Kisekka escaped from Makindye’s General Court Martial, later hiding in Kayunga.
After the murder, the group paid UGX 200,000 to a traditional healer, Olewo Joseph, for spiritual protection, evading justice for eight years. Kisekka’s 2023 arrest for theft in Luweero led to his confession and the implication of his co-conspirators, already imprisoned for unrelated crimes.
Prosecutor Thomas Jatiko pushed for a harsh sentence, citing the crime’s premeditation and the trauma endured by Kagezi’s children, who provided moving victim impact statements. Kisekka’s lawyer, Henry Kunya, sought leniency, noting his client’s family responsibilities. However, Justice Michael Elubu and a four-justice panel imposed the 35-year sentence, emphasizing the crime’s gravity.
Kagezi’s assassination shocked Uganda and the global legal community, highlighting the risks faced by justice advocates. This conviction delivers a measure of closure for her family and the nation.
