WIFE OF LATE DHO, TWO OTHERS SENTENCED TO 33 YRS IN PRISON

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By Moses Andama
In Masindi district
www.mknewslink.com
Masindi High court yesterday 23rd of September 2025 sentenced 3 people to 33 years 3 months and 23 days to prison after finding them guilty for slaying former Acting Masindi District Health Officer, Dr Jino Abiriga this comes after the 3 all pleaded guilty before court on 11th of September 2025.

Betty Cherotich, 31, and former wife to the deceased; Joshua Namureng, 36, and builder from Tarobya village in Bukwo district, and Martin Kipsang, 31, and a carpenter from Ruruk village also in Bukwo district appeared before the Masindi Resident Judge, Lady Justice Mary Babirye for th sentence on Tuesday 23rd September 2025.

In her staments Resident judge Lady justice Mary Babirye said the plot to commit the extrajudicial killing began when Cherotich learnt about the physician’s second marital relationship with Susan Atuhuura a resident of Masindi.

The judge added that Cherotich attempted to kill Dr Abiriga’s girlfriend, Ms Atuhuura, on two consecutive occasions but in a fiasco until she hired Namureng and Kipsang’s the murderous services.

Initially, Cherotich on December 11, 2023, hired Kipsang as a contract killer for Shs2.5m to slay Ms Atuhuura. A week later she sent him Shs500,000 to execute her. However, the mission failed since Ms Atuhuura did not appear at the expected location.

She, therefore, on December 11, 2023, tasked Martin Kipsang to find a second person to help her to kill her husband. On 26.12.2024, Kipsang together with Joshua Namureng came to execute their mission, which failed after the doctor woke up and closed the door that had been left open by his wife. He did this upon hearing some movements outside,” Ms Naziri told the full judge in a fully packed courtroom.

The the judge added that upon failing to execute their mission, the two slayers returned to Bukwo district before they returned on January 6, 2024, under much duress from Chesang so they could kill the medical doctor.

The statement read the statement read by the judge Lady justice Mary Babirye said the duo travelled from Bukwo and arrived in Masindi at around midday and booked a room at Valentine Guest House from where Cherotic alerted and invited them to Dr Abiriga’s house who was by then in dead asleep.

She said the suspects were armed with two huge hand hoe sticks and a knife. They found when Cherotich had opened the gate and she led them to the bedroom where her husband was sleeping. They hit him on the head and dragged the body to the floor where they slit his throat with a knife, killing him instantly.

Prosecution said that the three cleaned the dead body, dressed it in a red T-shirt and blue trousers before they carried it on a small ladder and dumped it 50 metres away from his house.

The court said after they accomplished their murderous action, Kipsang and Namureng returned to Valentine Guest House where they dumped the blood stained clothes in a pit latrine and left Masindi at around 5:30am.

Later the duo was tracked down, arrested in Bukwo from where they were transferred to Masindi for court action.

The three admitted to having committed the crime and scenes were reconstructed and several exhibits recovered including two hand handles from Bulyasojo cell, the deceased’s shoes , a black sports bag and clothes of one of the suspects.

Others were a bag that was retrieved from a pit latrine with a pillow cover, a mopping rug, work Identity card, and other blood stained clothes.

All samples were submitted to the Forensic Directorate for further analysis.

However the judge bad initially set 22nd of September 2025 as the date for sentence but later adjourned to today Tuesday 23rd 2025 for some reasons. However when the trio were given opportunity to say something yesterday after they all pleaded guilty on 11th of September 2025 they all had this today say.

Betty Techerotich 31 years asked court to forgive her since she did it out of anger besides that she is now widow and has children to take care of.

Joshua Namreng 36 years old asked for forgiveness saying he is before the judge on his knees, when he see the judge it’s like his mother. He grew up without parents and it’s his first time of commuting such crime and last.

Bible allows forgiveness, the deceased is not dead,I asked for plea bargain in vain please forgive me. Namureng stated

Martin Kipsang equally asked for forgiveness saying it was his first time to commit such crime.

In her ruling, Justice Mary Babirye noted that the late Abiriga was a respected person of high integrity, and provided essential services to the people adding that the maximum sentence would be 35 years but considering other aggreveted factors it goes up to 45 years

The judge however says considering the plea bargain after the trio pleaded guilty and all been remosful, she now reduce the sentence to 33 years, 3 months and 23 days

“After considering all the factors, I hereby sentence you to 33 years 3 months and 23 days with effect from today 23rd November 2025 and if you are not satisfied with the ruling, you have right to appeal within period of 3 days Babirye ruled .”

Speaking to Journalists after the ruling, Ronald Arubaku the first born of the deceased says the ruling was fair though as family members their prayer was maximum sentence.

Those killers made alot of losses to the family and entire Maracha district and Masindi, my daddy had alot of things to do to Family and entire Maracha district, now our focus is not on the ruling but how our generation shall be wether they shall emulate him Arubaku stated.

Silas Akuma Anua family member (clan leader)was not different from Arubaku saying what they prayed for was justice and it was given though they had wanted maximum sentence.

Dr Abiriga was murdered on December 6, 2023, at his home in Kijura North and his body dumped under a mango tree 50 metres from his house. It was discovered by neighbours on December 7, 2024.