COURT OF APPEAL OVERTURNS MAN’S CONVICTION FOR MURDER, SETS HIM FREE

By Aggrey Twesigye

www.mknewslink.com

In Mbarara—-

A 20-year prison sentence for Niyonzima Valenzi, who had been convicted of murder, was overturned by the Appeals Court in Mbarara after he had already served 13 years in prison. The decision came after a panel of judges, including Eva Luswata, Oscar Kihika, and Asa Mugenyi, reviewed the case.

Niyonzima, a resident of Nakivale, was originally convicted in 2011 for the murder of Nanihoshira. He had pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

However, his defense attorney, Ninsiima Caroline, argued in the Appeal Court that the High Court judge had made an error in his judgment by not considering Niyonzima’s earlier guilty plea and the time he had already spent in custody before sentencing.

The Appeals Court judges agreed with Niyonzima’s defense, stating that the High Court had indeed made a mistake by not factoring in the 13 years Niyonzima had already served. They also acknowledged that Niyonzima had admitted to the crime, which further complicated the fairness of the original sentence.

As a result, the Appeals Court ruled that it was unjust to continue holding Niyonzima in prison for the remaining years, given the errors made in the original trial. Therefore, the judges ordered his immediate release.