The Court of Appeal in Kampala has overturned the conviction of Robert Kawuli, who was serving an 18-year sentence for the killing of his wife, Lukia Nankoma.
Kawuli was initially found guilty of manslaughter in 2013 by the High Court in Mbale, following an incident in 2011 at Kapyani village in Kibuku district. He had admitted to fatally injuring his wife with a panga in a fit of rage.
Despite his guilty plea, Kawuli lodged an appeal, asserting that the sentence was unduly harsh and led to a miscarriage of justice.
In their ruling, Justices Fredrick Egonda Ntende, Christopher Gashirabake, and Oscar Kihika noted that the trial judge failed to consider mitigating factors, such as Kawuli’s youthfulness at the time of the offense and his subsequent expressions of remorse.
They emphasized that remorsefulness typically follows the event, not preceding it, and concluded that the trial judge’s oversight warranted intervention.
As a result, the Court of Appeal reduced Kawuli’s sentence to five years and eight months, deducting the time he had already spent in remand. Given that he had served the entirety of the adjusted sentence, the court ordered his immediate release.
