Dr. Abiriga killers sentenced to 35 years in prison

Masindi: The High Court in Masindi has sentenced three individuals to 35 years in prison for the brutal murder of Dr. Jino Abiriga, the former Acting District Health Officer (DHO) of Masindi.

The convicts, Betty Cherotich, 31, wife to the deceased; Joshua Namureng, 36, and Martin Kipsang, 31, appeared before Lady Justice Mary Babirye on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

The trio pleaded guilty to have brutally murdered Dr. Abiriga on January 7, 2024 and his body dumped a few meters from his residence in Kijura North Cell, Central Division, Masindi Municipality.

Babirye said that the convicts were jointly indicted with one count of murder contrary to section 188 and 189 of plea taking before the court on September 11, 2025, they readily pleaded guilty to the indictment.

‘’All the three therefore convicted on their own plea of guilty after they separately confirmed the correctness of the facts as read to each of them,’’ she said, noting that the deceased was a respected doctor and was married Cherotich and had an extra marital affair with one Atuhura Susan while Cherotich became increasingly jealous over Atuhura Susan which led into her hiring Nemureng and Kipsang to murder the husband.

Cherotich had on several occasions threatened to kill the deceased and he in turn informed his girlfriend about his fears.

Plot to murder Dr. Abiriga

On the 23rd of December 2023, Cherotich contacted Kipsang Martin on phone her plans to kill the deceased, they negotiated on payment of Shs2.5 million to carry out the said murder.

On 5th January 2024, Joshua Nemureng and Martin Kipsang travelled from Bukwo district to Masindi to execute their mission of killing the deceased.

Kipsang and Nemureng stayed at Valentines Guest Housein Masindi district waiting for signal through text messages from Cherotich to go and attack the deceased from his home. The duo went to then nearby hardware shop and bought two hoe handles to be used to assault the deceased.

On January 6, 2024, on the night of the murder, Nemureng and Kipsang who were still at Valentines Guest House got a signal from Cherotich via text message and they went to the home of the deceased with hoe handles to kill the deceased.

Lady Justice Mary Babirye narrated that telephone printouts showing the various communications were extracted. Cherotich opened the gate and Nemureng and Kipsang were led to the bedroom where the deceased was sleeping.

Kipsang hit the deceased on the head with the hoe handle and fell off the bed and all the three continued to hit the deceased as he bled to death.

The judge said that Charotich mopped and cleaned crime scene and poured the blood in toilet in the bedroom. Kipsang and Nemureng dressed the deceased, put him on ladder and threw his body outside the gate under the mango tree.

In the morning of January 7, 2024 neighbour discovered the body of the deceased under the tree and reported to the police. Police visited the scene and documented the scene and they recovered exhibits and took photos.

When the house of Cherotich was searched by SOCO, suspected blood stains were seen on door frame and wall of master bedroom. They also saw blood on wooden stand of the bed and discovered a dry piece of wood and were all swabbed and taken together with blood sample of the deceased and Cherotich to the directorate of forensic services and government analytical laboratory.

The home of Joshua Kipsang in Roroko village in Bukwo district was searched by police and they recovered jacket with blood stains, shoes and other clothes with blood stains and on analysis the blood said items was found to be that of the deceased.

Passenger ticket of Link Bus dated 7th January 2024 from Masindi to Kampala was got from the house of Kipsang.

The home Joshua Nemureng in Torokyo village in Bukwo district was also searched by police and a pair of brown shoes suspected to belong to the deceased with blood stains and a black pack with a names of Cherotich Moureen belonging to the daughter of Betty Cherotich were recovered.

Upon their arrest the accused persons accepted having participated in the deceased’s death. Charge and caution statements were recorded as well as extra judicial statements.

Convicts’ sentence

In her submission to the sentence, Masindi Resident State Attorney Naziri Charlotte said that the offence is rampant and there is need to deter it, it is serious in nature attracting death.

There was premeditation as it was planed by the convicts and the degree of injury sustained as seen from the parts o0f the body targeted the neck and the head plus the nature of weapons used to include the knife.

Naziri therefore said this offense was committed by more than two people and there was an attempt conceal the evidence by the convicts stressing that the deceased was an essential person in the community, medical officer and acting DHO at the time.

The deceased was a sole bread winner and was paying fees for all his children eight at the time, three of whom were in higher institutions of learning, three in secondary and one in primary. ‘’The deceased was as well providing for the children of Cherotich that she came with in the marriage and other extended family members,’’ Naziri said.

She however prayed that court be pleased to give a sentence that will not only deter others from committing such crimes but also give justice to the family of the deceased.

In defense, Ajok Harriet, the convicts’ lawyer said the accused persons submitted that the convicts are remorseful, did not waste court’s time as they pleaded to the charge and they have no other known criminal records.

Ajok prayed that in sentencing the convicts, court looks at the level of participation especially looking at the DNA reports that clearly spelt out the participation of the convicts thus prayed for leniency.

Convicts plead for forgiveness

Betty Cherotich, a widow apologized to the relatives of the deceased, public and the court for the murdering her husband. ‘’I am sorry for what happened, I regret why I did it. I did it out of anger and I request for forgiveness, l am a widow, I left my children suffering, I request court to forgive me for what happened,’’ she pleaded.

Martin Kipsang regretted for what happened apologizing that it was not out of his will. ‘’I request you forgive me. I request the court to forgive me, I request the public to forgive me, I request the family of the deceased to forgive me .’’

Similarly, Joshua Nemureng, stated that ‘’I am under my feet my Lord, I pray for lenience and forgiveness. It was not part of my wish. I didn’t know what happened. The relatives forgive me. It is my first and last.’’

Ronald Arubaku, the deceased’s son stressed that they are deeply hearted and they have nowhere to put them in their heart and they shall not forgive them.  ‘’We have lost a family tree that used to bring fruits, they have uprooted the tree with all its roots, the whole Bunyoro knows our village because of my father and its hard to leave the whole clan in your hands but nevertheless, God is with us and we shall handle until we reach he left us,’’ he said.

‘’I am not here to judge them, I have no powers. My Lord on behalf of the family we can not judge, we forgive them for the sake of my father’s soul,’’ he further stated.

The road to prison

In her judgment, Lady Justice Mary Babirye, the Judge Masindi High Court sentenced the trio to 35 years in prison. She however deducted one year, eight months and seven days the convicts have spent on remand.

‘’Betty Cherotich, Martin Kipsand and Joshua Nemureng I sentence you each to a term of imprisonment of 33 years, three months and 20 days starting from today, September 23, 2025.,’’ she sentenced them.

Lady Justice Babirye however said the convicts have a right of appeal against the legality and severity of this sentence within a period of fourteen days.

Family members speak out

Ronald Arubaku, son of the late Dr. Jino Abiriga, has welcomed the court’s decision, describing the sentence as “fair,” although the family had hoped for a life sentence.

“We expected life imprisonment, but since judgment has been delivered, we now turn our focus to the future,” Arubaku said. “I will concentrate on supporting my younger siblings so they can continue with their education.”

He expressed the deep impact the murder has had on the family, saying the trio robbed them of a man who had many plans for his children and extended family.

“We’ve suffered a great loss. Our father had big dreams for us. But we must move forward and focus on building our future.”

Silas Anua Akuma, the brother of the deceased, echoed the family’s pain and called for tougher penalties in such cases.

“Our prayer was for the maximum sentence. If it weren’t for the law, we would have wished for death in exchange for death. But the law has taken its course,” he said.

Despite their emotional wounds, Akuma acknowledged that justice had been served, offering some relief to the grieving family.

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