Makindye Gen Court Martial Chairman Lt Gen Andrew Gutti this morning sentenced to 15 years in jail, two UPDF officers who were convicted yesterday of attacking Mbuya Barracks in 2013.
The officers Lt Augustine Moro and Private Kenneth Kalokwera were yesterday found guilty on charges relating to security.
Before the sentencing today, the state prosecutor Maj Raphael Mugisha asked for the convicts to be given the maximum sentence for the grave crimes the committed of making an assault on the UPDF and Ministry of Defence headquarters.
He pointed out also that such cases are on the rise in the country, noting that so far there are four ongoing trials of this nature.
Defence Counsel Maj Asha Patra on the other hand asked court to consider the 5 year period the convicts have spent on remand, and also that one of the accused Lt Moro is a caretaker of his 2 sisters and 2 brothers and has been remorseful.
He added that Pte Kalokwera also deserved a lenient sentence, being a first time offender whose child and wife were murdered in Masaka which left the rest of his kids helpless.
The chairman Gen Gutti in his ruling said he decided to part with the norm of handing lenient sentences to first offenders, in order to send out a strong message to people bent to compromise national security.
“The offences against which these two were convicted are grave in nature and have become rampant. This court therefore sentences both of the convicts to 15years in prison,” He ruled.