Musa Musasizi, a former street child-turned-businessman in Nakulabye, Kampala, has been sentenced to over 100 years in prison for murdering five people within a single month in 2021.
He pleaded guilty to murdering five people including four of his girlfriends and his 3-month-old baby
Musasizi’s murderous spree began in February when he strangled his girlfriend, Mackline Ahereza, for demanding money to start a business. He then wrapped her body in a suitcase, hired a boda boda, and transported it to a remote area in Nateete, where he doused it in paraffin and set it ablaze.
Kassaga Abudl, who helped Musasizi dispose of Ahereza’s body, received a four-year prison sentence at Luzira prison.
Unfazed by his initial crime, the then 23-year-old Musasizi lured Violet Kansiime and her three-month-old baby, Abigail Nakitende, from their home in Makerere under the pretense of marriage and a brighter future. He later brutally strangled both mother and child.
Musasizi again attempted to conceal his crimes by wrapping their bodies in curtains, dumping them near the Nankulabye police station, and setting them on fire.
Musasizi also murdered Nourine Nabirye and Elizabeth Muteesi, whose bodies he similarly burned. High Court Judge Margaret Muntonyi described his actions as barbaric and savage.
It was Ahereza’s stolen Nokia phone, sold by Musasizi to a third party, that ultimately led to his arrest on March 21, 2021. He pleaded guilty to all charges before Justice Muntonyi.
Although the court considered the death penalty, Judge Muntonyi ultimately sentenced Musasizi to a cumulative total of 35, 32, 27, 40 years, and 21 months for each individual murder, respectively. She explained that a single life sentence could not possibly compensate for the multiple lives he had taken.
While sentencing, Justice Muntonyi compared Musasizi to a character from the 1956 film “Killer on the Loose,” but noted that his actions were a horrifying reality that traumatized the Nankulabye community. She further expressed concern about the potential number of victims had he remained free.
Recognizing Musasizi’s lack of mental illness and his calculated targeting of victims through romantic relationships, the judge emphasized the need to protect young girls, including his own six-year-old daughter, from his “wicked soul” by imposing a lengthy sentence.
Justice Muntonyi concluded by stressing the sacredness of each life and the gruesome nature of Musasizi’s crimes. She categorized him as a serial killer who exploited the trust granted to him by his victims. Musasizi has the right to appeal the sentence length but not his conviction.
