22 Suspects Sentenced to 100 Hours of Community Service

Twenty-two people have been sentenced to 100 hours’  of community service after being convicted on different charges. The charges include engaging in domestic violence, theft, threatening violence, simple robbery, malicious damage, causing grievous harm, and engaging in a negligent act likely to spread disease.

Most of the convicted persons were arrested in January but had not yet faced trial when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country in March. They have since been on remand, until today, when they appeared before Isingiro Grade One Magistrate Hillary Murangira.

The magistrate, while sentencing them said that the punishment was appropriate, for the convicts who were first-time offenders, remorseful, ready to reform and had spent a long time in Prison.

“Putting into consideration the fact that you are first time offenders with no criminal record and have been in prison for long, you are hereby sentenced to 100 hours' community service," Murangira ruled. He added that each of them will serve six hours a day, three days a week for two months, within their respective sub-counties where they will be monitored by Sub County Chiefs.

The convicts were given letters of introduction and monitoring forms to present to the Sub County Chiefs for monitoring as they serve their sentence. Community Service is an alternative form of punishment used by the judiciary as part of the reform of the Criminal Justice System in Uganda. The punishment is mainly used to decongest prisons.

The convicts were identified as Enock Tumwine, Benson Byamukama, Hassan Byonabusha, Sharif Musinguzi, Siraji Mugizi, Ivan Muhwezi, Alex Muhereza, Emmanuel Tumwine, Alex Mukama, and Abel Owarugaba.

The others Yasin Mukama, Joseph Bakunda, Fred Turyasingura, Allan Wasswa, Christopher Nyesiga, John Tiriri, Amos Muhangi, Venesia Twinamatsiko, Bashiri Turyamusiima, Emmanuel Taremwa, Innocent Arinda, Grant Muzahura, Benon Mwisukye, and Silili Twinomujuni.