Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, a former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after confessing to the 2015 murder of Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Kagezi Namazzi. The killing occurred on March 30, 2015, in Kiwatule, a suburb of Kampala. The sentence was issued on Monday after Kisekka pleaded guilty under a plea bargain arrangement with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Represented by Chief Magistrate Michael Elubu and three other judges, the court accepted a withdrawal of terrorism charges—formally signed by DPP Jane Frances Abodo—to focus solely on the murder charge. State prosecutors Thomas Jatiko and Jacqueline Okui led the prosecution.
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Kisekka, who had deserted the UPDF after stealing five AK-47 rifles, joined a criminal gang involved in armed robberies. During the proceedings, the court heard that he escaped detention from Makindye military barracks and later started a charcoal business in Kayunga.
In early 2015, John Kibuka, one of Kisekka’s co-accused, proposed assassinating Joan Kagezi, falsely claiming she was a judge. Kisekka agreed to the plan, lured by promises of up to $200,000. On the night of the murder, Kagezi was ambushed and shot in front of her children while driving home in Ntinda. She succumbed to gunshot wounds at Mulago Hospital.
Kisekka admitted to cleaning and preparing the weapons, coordinating with his accomplices, and receiving Shs 500,000 before the attack. After the killing, the gang reportedly held a ritual with a witch doctor to “silence” the case spiritually.
Investigations into Kagezi’s murder yielded few results until 2023 when new intelligence led to the arrest of the suspects. Kisekka was apprehended in Luwero in October 2023 and later confessed to his role in the assassination.
During sentencing, prosecutors emphasized the calculated and brutal nature of the crime, the psychological impact on Kagezi’s children, and the threat posed to the justice system. Although the offense is eligible for the death penalty, a 35-year sentence was recommended and upheld by the court.
Kisekka, who has three wives and children, apologized to the court, Kagezi’s family, the Ugandan government, and President Yoweri Museveni. The judges deducted his remand time (over 1.5 years) from the sentence and informed him of his right to appeal within 14 days.
Kagezi’s children, George Phillip Kulubya and his sister Carole, shared a victim impact statement describing the lasting trauma of losing their mother. The court acknowledged this report but excluded a similar submission from the ODPP, citing concerns about impartiality due to Kagezi’s former position as a state prosecutor.
Kisekka may now serve as a key witness against his three co-accused—John Kibuka, Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, and John Masajjage—who are still on remand and expected back in court on May 20.
Chief state attorney Okui hailed the conviction as a major step toward justice for Kagezi’s family. The motive behind her assassination is believed to be linked to her work prosecuting high-profile terrorism and religious extremism cases.
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