law 5 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Susan Magara Murder Trial: Two Sentenced to Death, Seven Get Life Imprisonment
In a landmark ruling, a Ugandan High Court has sentenced two individuals to death and seven others to life imprisonment for the brutal 2018 kidnap and murder of businesswoman Susan Magara. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/death-for-two-life-imprisonment-for-seven-in-susan-magara-murder-case-5548040
A protracted eight-year legal battle has concluded with a severe sentencing for the nine individuals involved in the 2018 kidnapping and murder of businesswoman Susan Magara. Justice Alex Ajiji of the High Court handed down the death penalty to Buvumbo Musa Abbas and Hajara Nakandi, identifying them as the primary perpetrators of the meticulously planned crime.
Justice Ajiji described the actions of Abbas and Nakandi as “excruciating,” “brutal, calculated, premeditated and callous.” The court found that Buvumbo directly participated in Magara’s abduction, amputated two of her fingers, administered a fatal dose of ketamine, and ultimately caused her death by suffocation. Nakandi was found to have guarded the victim throughout her captivity and made the decision to kill Magara, fearing she could identify her captors.
The judge emphasized the extreme cruelty and financial motivation behind the crime, noting that Magara endured significant psychological torture and physical mutilation even after a substantial ransom was paid. The court declared this a “rarest of the rare” case, warranting the death penalty by hanging.
The remaining seven convicts—Yusuf Lubega, Hussein Wasswa, Muzamiru Ssali, Abubaker Kyewolwa, Mahad Kisalita, Hassan Miiro Kato, and Ismail Bukenya—received life sentences. Their roles, deemed indispensable to the execution of the crime, included controlling ransom money, collecting payments, driving vehicles used in the operation, and guarding the premises where Magara was held.
Beyond imprisonment, the court ordered the confiscation of assets purchased with the ransom money, including land and vehicles, to compensate Magara’s family. These assets will be sold to recover the approximate $200,000 ransom paid.
The sentencing concludes one of Uganda’s most shocking ransom murder cases, which sparked national outrage and prompted presidential intervention. The trial highlighted the extreme brutality, including the delivery of Magara’s severed fingers to her family, underscoring the severe suffering she endured.