Trial judge at the 2010 Kampala World Cup twin bombings Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo said he believed the death sentence would not act as a deterrent.
This was during sentencing of five of the seven men found guilty for carrying out bombings at at Kyaddondo Rugby Club in Lugogo and Ethiopian Village Restaurant in Kabalagala all in Kampala City that killed at least 76 people who were watching the World Cup finals between Spain and the Netherlands.
“I do not think that the death penalty would assuage the victims and give closure to the indelible pain that society has suffered,” Judge Owiny-Dollo said while explaining why he did not give death sentences, which was an option.
Another suspect Muzafar Luyima, was sentenced to one year of community service after being found guilty of being an accessory to the crime to one year of community service after spending six years on remand in Luzira prison.
The five are Hussein Hassan Agad, Idris Magondu, Habibi Suleiman Njoroge, Muhammed Ali Mohamed and Isa Ahamed Luyima while Suleiman Hajjir Nyamandondo and Hassan Haruna Luyima were given 50-year sentences. According to prosecution, they were trained by the Somalia-based Islamist militant group al-Shabab.
However, the judge acquitted five of the 13 suspects; Omar Awadh Omar, Muhammed Hamid Suleiman, Yahya Suleiman Mbuthia , Batematyo Abubakari, and Dr Ismail Kalule for lack of sufficient evidence to link them to the terror attacks.
After the first day of trial, defence lawyer Caleb Alaka told reporters that the whereabouts of the five men acquitted on Kampala terror charges were unknown but local media stated that they are now in police custody for their own safety, quoting a state prosecutor.
