October 16, 2023.
KAMPALA, Uganda | The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Jane Frances Abodo, has dropped murder charges against Patrick Kashaija, also known as Pato, in connection with the Susan Magara case. The announcement came as a nolle prosequi, a letter withdrawing the charges, was presented in court by Senior State Attorney Irene Nakimbugwe citing logistical issues as the reason for the unpreparedness to proceed with the case, and the DPP’s decision to withdraw the charges against Patrick Kashaija.
Upon receiving the nolle prosequi, along with an amended indictment and an amended summary of evidence, the Criminal Division of the High Court adjourned the matter until October 23, 2023. This is when the trial judge, Alex Ajiji, will commence hearing the case.
Patrick Kashaija had been facing charges in the Susan Magara murder case alongside several other individuals, including Mahad Kasalita, the former imam of Usafi makeshift mosque in Kisenyi; Yusuf Lubega; Hussein Wasswa; Muzamiru Ssali; Abubaker Kyewolwa; Hassan Kato Miiro; Amir Bukenya; and Hajara Nakandi.
The decision to drop charges against Patrick Kashaija, also known as Pato, means he is now a free man. However, it’s essential to note that the DPP retains the option to reinstate the charges if sufficient evidence emerges to link him to the crime.
Susan Magara’s case, a tragic kidnapping and murder, sent shockwaves through Uganda in 2018. The 28-year-old daughter of businessman John Magara was abducted on February 7, 2018, on Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo, Kampala, as she drove home to Lungujja, a city suburb. Her car was found abandoned at the gate.
Her kidnappers demanded a ransom of $1 million (approximately 3.65 billion Ugandan shillings) from her family, but tragically, Susan was murdered, and her body was later discovered in Kigo, Wakiso district, where it had been discarded. At the time of her murder, her family had already paid part of the ransom money, approximately 700 million Ugandan shillings, to the kidnappers.
The prosecution’s case alleged that the accused and others at large kidnapped Susan with the intent to procure a ransom for her release, ultimately leading to her tragic murder.
One key suspect, Yakub Byensi, a former combatant with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels who was known to Susan’s family, remains at large. The indictment suggests that Susan was a victim of a ransom scheme devised by Byensi and others, who had insider information. These individuals, according to the prosecution, kidnapped Susan, initially taking her to Nakandi’s home in Nateete and then to Amir Bukenya’s home in Konge II Makindye. It was at this location that her fingers were severed and sent to her family, along with a recording of the incident, to emphasize the kidnappers’ determination to proceed with her murder if the ransom was not paid.
