Two men have been sentenced to three years in prison for selling counterfeit drugs they falsely claimed could cure HIV/AIDS.
The convicts, Festo Mugabe, 37, a resident of Kanombe, a suburb of Kigali City in Rwanda, and Nathan Karamuzi, 28, of Kalwazi Cell in Kakuuto, Kyotera District, were convicted by Masaka Grade One Magistrate Abdullah Kayizi on Monday.
Court heard that the duo was arrested on April 30, 2026, at Golf Lane Hotel in Masaka after attempting to sell the fake medication to a businessman living with HIV/AIDS.
Prosecution, led by Michael Wakosase, told court that the suspects convinced the victim that the drugs could completely cure him within two months. Suspicious of the claims, the businessman alerted police, leading to the arrest of the two men.
The accused were subsequently charged with spreading misleading information about HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, contrary to the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 2014.
Both men pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency.
In his ruling, Magistrate Kayizi sentenced each of them to three years in prison or a fine of Shs300,000, noting that he had considered their guilty plea and remorse.
He said the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent against individuals engaging in similar fraudulent and dangerous practices.
The court also ordered that the counterfeit drugs presented as exhibits be handed over to the National Drug Authority for proper disposal.
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