UGANDA: court sentences man to 15 years for rape

By Gertrude Mutyaba.

A court in Masaka District has sentenced a man living with HIV/Aids to 15 years in jail for raping an 11-year-old girl.

Justice Margaret Oumo Oguli of Masaka High Court sentenced Mr John Mukiibi, 29, a resident of Buziranga village in Masaka District to 15 years for the offence.

In her ruling, Ms Oguli said much as Mukiibi was sick and had admitted to committing the offence, cases of defilement were on the rise and the sentence was to serve as a strong warning to other defilers.

Prosecution alleges that on June 7 last year, the victim’s mother and grandmother left for work in the garden early in the morning, leaving her behind to keep the home.

Mukiibi, on finding the victim alone, reportedly convinced the young girl to follow him to the bathroom, which was an enclosure of grass behind the main house, so that he would give her some beer to drink. 

However, upon getting there, it is alleged that Mukiibi undressed her and forced her into sex.

The girl later reported the incident to her mother and when the latter confronted him, he strongly denied ever doing it. A bitter exchange is said to have ensued between the two, attracting the attention of the residents, who arrested him.

Source: Daily Monitor (25/04/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Masaka-court-sentences-man-to-15-years-for-rape/-/688334/1757344/-/xher4a/-/index.html