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A 45-year-old man in Uganda’s Kigezi Sub-region was sentenced to 40 years in prison for burning his wife and three children to death in their home.
Vianney Armstrong Ahimbisibwe was sentenced by Kabale High Court Judge Samuel Emokor on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, after pleading guilty to the offense in Habutobere Village, Muko Sub-county, Rubanda District.
Ahimbisibwe set fire to the house, killing his wife Rovinah Muheki, 43, his sons Edwin Tumworobire, 17, and Westlife Akampumuriza, 15, as well as his 5-year-old daughter Maria Akwire Akinamushabire.
He had separated from his wife due to a misunderstanding at the time of the crime and was staying in a different home.
While delivering the verdict, Judge Emokor stated that while Ahimbisibwe did not waste the court’s time, he committed a significant offense by abruptly taking the lives of his immediate family members, for which he should be severely punished.
“While the convict asked for a lenient punishment, appeared remorseful and regrets his actions, the court contends that the offences he committed were grave and calls for a death sentence once proved guilty,” the judge ruled.
“Putting into consideration the submission of the state prosecution calling for a deterrence sentence by punishing the convict basing on the number of people he murdered, the fact that he did not take lives of foreigners but his immediate family members to achieve his pre-determined evil motives, he is hereby sentenced 40 years for each count of murder,” Justice Emokor added.
The judge stated that because Ahimbisibwe had been on remand for one year and eight months, his sentence would be reduced to 38 years and four months.
Ahimbisibwe was sentenced to 15 years in prison for arson.
In addition, he was sentenced to two years in prison for beating and causing actual bodily harm to his sole son, who survived the fire. However, the judge explained that all of the sentences will run consecutively, implying that the offender will spend 38 years and four months in prison.
“The sentence shall run concurrently starting from the day of issuing this judgement and the convict has the right to appeal against this ruling within 14 days in case he is not happy with it,” Justice Emokor said.
Prosecution stated that on June 12, 2021, at around 8pm, Ahimbisibwe went to the deceased wife’s shop /bar located at Hisesero Trading Centre in Muko Sub-county, Rubanda District, where he found her with their children.
He then started assaulting one of his sons (survivor), Bob Mathius Muheki, demanding to know why he did not finish ferrying sand on his construction site. But other residents intervened and rescued the boy from his father.
Later when the wife and the children got home, a neighbour alerted them to take precaution because he had seen the angry husband hiding in an unfinished building next to their home.
Later at around 10pm, the neighbours had people screaming inside the house, and found it on fire. All the occupants died in the fire. Investigations further revealed that Ahimbisibwe had been seen earlier that night at a nearby fuel station with a jerrycan.
