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A 26-year-old Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) instructor, Private Suzan Adeke, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting a recruit in a recent ruling by the General Court Martial (GCM). Adeke, who serves at the Kaweweta Recruit Training School (KRTS) in Nakaseke District, pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.
Resident of Kongodi village in Kachumbala, Bukedea District, Private Suzan Adeke, also holds the role of matron at KRTS. The conviction, under Section 236 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 120, carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
Brigadier General Robert Freeman Mugabe, Chairman of the General Court Martial, delivered the verdict on Monday, February 26, determining an appropriate sentence of eighteen months’ detention for Private Adeke. Noting her status as a first-time offender, her plea of guilt, and her role as a mother to a young child, Gen. Mugabe adjusted the sentence to four months and seven days, factoring in time spent on remand and mitigating circumstances.
The prosecution, represented by Lt Col Raphael Mugisha, Lt Alex Mukhwana, Private Anthony Phillip Olupot, and Private Regina Nanzala, presented evidence that on February 12, 2023, at KRTS in Nakaseke District, Adeke, in her capacity as an instructor, assaulted recruit Brenda Kisakye during a training exercise known as ‘Kipindi’, resulting in actual bodily harm.
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Private Suzan Adeke was legally represented by Captain Simon Nsubuga Busagwa and Private Priscilla Kakande during the proceedings. The court advised Adeke of her right to appeal the ruling if dissatisfied with the outcome.
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