BY S KWAGALA
Justice Henry Isabirye Kaweesa, presiding at the High Court in Mukono has sentenced Dr. Matthew Kirabo to 30 years imprisonment for the murder of his lover Desire Mirembe, a 19-year-old undergraduate at Makerere University School of Medicine.
It has taken over 8 years to bring this case to this phase as there have been various twists and turns in the matter.
Henry Kunya, Kirabo’s attorney, sought leniency for the convict basing on his status as a first-time offender at the age of 32.
In addition while maintaining his innocence, Dr. Kirabo argued that during his time on bail as a doctor, he was able to save many lives in the Accident and Emergency Unit at Mulago Hospital and the Maternity Unit in Mulago Kawempe Hospital.
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This he made note of while extending his condolences to Desire’s family whose daughter’s long life had been cut short.
On the hand however ,the ODPP, represented by Chief State Attorneys Happiness Ainebyona and Emily Ninsiima, had requested maximum sentence (death penalty).Their argument was that the deceased’s long, bright future had been cruelly cruelly cut short by the convict, who in his favor had continued his studies and gone on to become a doctor.
Kirabo who had escaped while on bail in 2021 was convicted of murder in May 2022 in absentia. On September 12, 2023 he was arrested by Kenya Interpol, after which he was extradited to Uganda.
On September 15,2023, the convict was remanded by Mukono High Court presided over by Justice David Matovu for further management of the case .
Mirembe, Kirabo’s girlfriend, was murdered on July 10, 2015, and her body was dumped in a sugarcane plantation in Lugazi.