High Court in Mukono sentenced Kisitu Balikuddembe 49, to 50 years in prison for murdering his ex-wife, her new husband and the eight-year-old child.
On February 3, 2014, at Ntonto Village in Kayunga district, Balikuddembe bought petrol and poured it on the rental house of his ex-wife Zam Kyomugisha upon discovering that she got remarried to another man.
The entire rental room got ablaze causing the death of the three people. The convict had separated from the wife seven years back but kept on stalking her.
Lady Justice Margret Mutonyi noted on Thursday that the matter is a typical gender based violence which involved the death of Kyomugisha, the husband Kizito Omita and his eight-year-old child, Yesse Magala.
She noted that the convict committed a triple murder in a single transaction that was gruesome and deadly and in spite of realizing that three lives were lost in the inferno, remained adamant for eight years without any remorse.
Although the convict has been on remand for eight years, Justice Mutonyi noted that given his dangerous stereotype thinking that he owns women in love relationship with him, his other wife is not equally safe.
“The convict had no right whatsoever to stop her from finding another companion, she was subjected to psychological and physical torture into death. The convict is the type of man who strongly believes that if he cannot be in a love relationship with a woman, then no other man should have.” She noted delivering the sentence.
Justice Muyonyi further indicated that the convict did not only evade justice, but also abused the innocence of his second wife by manipulating the court to tell lies about his whereabouts on the fateful day.
This was yet another act of gender based violence netted against another woman in the life of Kisitu.
Justice Mutonyi stated that a man who falls out with a woman has no right to control her life and determine the people she relates with.
“A woman who separates with a man, more so where the marriage was not lawful like the instant case where they were merely co-habiting, has a right to start and find a new life. Every woman has the right to determine who to live with and love.”
She added that it is common knowledge that human beings make mistakes in relationships to the extent that they bear children out of these erroneous relationships but this does not mean that they should be enslaved for the rest of their lives.
Justice Muntonyi sentenced him to 50 years in prison on all three counts, including the time spent on remand (8 years, 2 months and 1 day) bringing it to 41 years and 10 months.
“Since the triple murder was in a single transaction, the sentences will run concurrently. I have also considered his age and exercised my discretion to allow his sentence to be reduced on account of remission earned.” She noted.
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