Twenty-two-year-old Denis Arinaitwe, a tailor has earned himself 70 years in jail after pleading guilty to the murder of his two girlfriends.
Arinaitwe shot and killed Police Constable Caroline Komuhangi formerly attached to the Field Force Unit (FFU) at Kabale Central Police Station on March 19, 2023, around 9:00 AM.
Arinaitwe, a resident of Nyakahanga village, Kazindiro parish, Rukungiri district, shot and killed Komuhangi following domestic disputes about their relationship. The two had been cohabiting for one and a half years.
A disagreement arose after Komuhangi accused Arinaitwe of having an affair with a student from Kabale University.
She also accused Arinaitwe of taking her Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) card. Komuhangi reported the matter to Kabale Police Station, leading to Arinaitwe’s arrest and an order for him to return the ATM card.
On the fateful day, Arinaitwe gained access to the Police Barracks, where Komuhangi was, and a fight broke out. As Komuhangi tried to flee, Arinaitwe shot her three times.
After the incident, Arinaitwe attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself, but he missed the target and injured himself in the face.
He was arrested and taken to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for treatment until July 208, 2023, when he was brought before the court, charged, and remanded to Ndorwa Government Prison.
During the process, it was discovered that Arinaitwe had also strangled to death his girlfriend, Sarah Naturinda, a student at Kabale University in her room in Rwamukundi village, Kabale Municipality, on the same day as Komuhangi’s murder.
On Monday, Arinaitwe appeared before Kabale High Court presided over by Justice Samuel Emokor, and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder.
Juliet Najunju, Kabale Resident State Attorney, requested a heavy sentence for Arinaitwe due to the severity of his crimes.
In his judgment, Justice Emokor considered Arinaitwe’s guilty plea, which saved the court time and taxpayer money. He sentenced Arinaitwe to 35 years for each murder charge, to be served concurrently. Emokor deducted the time Arinaitwe spent on remand, reducing the sentence to 68 years and two months.
Following the sentence, Arinaitwe was handcuffed as he threatened journalists for taking his pictures when given the chance.
Elly Maate, police spokesperson for the Kigezi region, welcomed the judgment, stating that it sends a message that committing crimes carries severe consequences.
He emphasized that individuals should seek peaceful resolutions rather than taking the law into their own hands.
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