Sureities for Matthew Kirabo, the prime suspect in the 2015 murder of Makerere University student Desire Mirembe, might be in trouble following orders to have the suspect produced in court within 7 days.
Mukono High Court Judge, Justice Henry Kaweesa ordered the two sureties, including Kirabo’s mother Imelda Wabulendo and his uncle, Bernard Mbayo, to come to court with Kirabo on Wednesday next week or come with 50 million shillings in cash each.
The summons come after Kirabo skipped court for the second time without vivid evidence.
During the court session, Kirabo’s lawyers led by counsel Charles Dalton Opwonya told court that they do not know where their client is and have done all they could to reach him which was in vain.
“My Lord, I last saw Kirabo at his wedding last week, since then me and my colleague Counsel Kato Hassan have been trying his phone but in vain,” Said Opwonya defense counsel.
Opwonya contradicted himself when he added that his client has covid 19, and being a medical doctor he found it wise not to come to court.
The State Attorney Happiness Ainebyona prayed to court to make the sureties execute their bond. She also objected to Opwonya’s claims that Kirabo has covid 19.
“My Lord the State investigated the matter and we found out that Kirabo has not been tested for COVID-19 at Jinja Referral hospital as defense counsel claims” Ainebyona said.
Being a matter where the government has spent a lot of resources on, she said that the sureties be given tighter rules and the accused be arrested.
Justice Kaweesa ruled that the sureties present the accused in court or risk being arrested and paying a 50M each.
Mirembe, 19, was murdered in the year 2015, her body was dumped in a sugarcane plantation at Bulyanteete village in Lugazi municipality, Buikwe district.
Kirabo was briefly jailed and was later granted bail on November 24, 2016, which enabled him to finish his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine.
After six years of waiting the case was resurrected in October 2021 on the instructions of the then Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine.
