The High Court in Kampala has sentenced two men to death for the murder of former Ndiga Clan leader, Eng. Daniel Bbosa Lugya.
Lugya Bbosa Tabula and his relative, Lugya Noah, were handed the death sentence on Thursday after pleading guilty to the murder charge before High Court Criminal Division Judge David Matovu.
Bbosa was shot dead on 24 February 2024 at Kikandwa Village in Lungujja, Kampala, shortly after returning from Katosi where he had attended a clan function.
“It is true, my Lord, and I ask for forgiveness,” he told the court.
Noah also admitted the facts presented against him, responding: “It is true.”
The court subsequently convicted both men on their own pleas of guilty before sentencing them to death.
According to the prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney Joseph Kyomuhendo, the two were part of a wider group accused of planning and carrying out Bbosa’s murder.
The prosecution said the killing was linked to a longstanding dispute over the leadership of the Ndiga Clan. Bbosa had been installed as clan leader and also served as Mutaka Lwomwa in the Buganda Kingdom hierarchy.
Court heard that on the day of the murder, Bbosa was travelling home with his wife, Gladys, and a househelp after returning from Katosi.
As he approached his home in Lungujja, he reportedly slowed down after noticing two people on a motorcycle. One of the men allegedly got off the motorcycle and shot him before the attackers fled.
Bbosa’s body was later found inside his Toyota Prado, registration number UAH 637. The vehicle had bullet damage and shattered windows.
A post-mortem examination established that he died from gunshot injuries.
Investigators later traced the motorcycle allegedly used in the attack and found that its registration number had been altered to conceal its identity.
The prosecution told court that an AK-47 rifle was recovered during the subsequent pursuit of suspects. Ballistic examinations allegedly established that the firearm was functional and capable of firing ammunition, while spent cartridges recovered from the crime scene were linked to the weapon.
One of the alleged suspects, Enock Sserunkuma, alias Munaku, was reportedly killed by a mob during the pursuit. Noah was rescued and taken to Mulago Hospital for treatment.
The prosecution also relied on CCTV footage, telephone call-data records and forensic evidence, which it said helped investigators establish the movements and communications of some of the suspects before and after the killing.
Court heard that meetings were held between November and December 2023 to plan Bbosa’s murder. Several possible methods of killing him were allegedly discussed, including poisoning.
The prosecution further alleged that Tabula opposed Bbosa’s leadership of the Ndiga Clan, claiming that the position belonged to him by birthright.
It alleged that Tabula recruited Sserunkuma and Noah to execute the murder and provided the firearm used in the attack.
The prosecution presented several pieces of evidence, including the post-mortem report, charge and caution statements, extra-judicial statements, CCTV footage, forensic reports, scene-of-crime reports and ballistic evidence.
Three other people — Harriet Nakiguli, Joseph Nakabake and Ezra Mayanja — are also facing murder charges in connection with Bbosa’s death. Unlike Tabula and Noah, the three have denied the allegations and will face trial separately.
