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The witch doctor was handed 44 years
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The family of a mentally ill woman made a simple request to a witch doctor: Could he heal their daughter? However, the trip to the shrine took a tragic turn. The witch doctor, Bilali Bun-Ayub Kasadha, began by administering local herbs to 22-year-old Irene Namaganda Ataliba. When the treatment failed to improve her condition, Ataliba’s mother, Sarah Namususwa, decided to leave her daughter at Kasadha's shrine for continued care. This happened in September 2022. As days turned into weeks, Namususwa also began staying at the shrine intermittently, spending some nights there and others away, leaving her daughter in the witch doctor’s care.
The prosecution informed the court that Ataliba stayed at Kasadha's home for several days. During this time, she attempted to escape from the shrine three times. After the third attempt, Kasadha decided to lock her in the kitchen. This would be Ataliba's last day alive. Habibu Mpyangu, one of Kasadha's children, testified that a few minutes after the witch doctor locked Ataliba in the kitchen, she began to groan in pain. Mpyangu said she opened the kitchen door and found the mentally ill woman lying on the floor, fighting for her life. Ataliba was in a pool of blood, with a cut wound on her throat and a knife lying beside her.
Although there was no eyewitness to the murder, Kulait Balaba, the defense secretary of Kiwani village, testified that he knew Kasadha, also known as Sheik Ayub, who earned a living as a traditional healer in the village. Balaba stated that upon reaching the scene of the crime, he saw Ataliba’s body lying in a pool of blood, but there was no knife in sight. Additionally, the house adjacent to the kitchen was empty.
Juma Musisi, the LCI chairperson, testified that on the fateful day, Kasadha stormed into his house at 11:00 a.m., claiming that a girl who had been brought to his shrine as a patient had committed suicide. According to Musisi, Kasadha said the girl had cut her neck with a knife. However, upon reaching the scene, Musisi found no weapon.
The police, led by Chief Detective Peter Eyatu, recovered a knife outside the kitchen. In his defense, Kasadha claimed that Ataliba had disturbed him on the night of the incident, prompting him to lock her in the kitchen. He admitted to removing the knife and throwing it into the rabbit hutch. Regarding his qualifications, Kasadha told the court, "I am a qualified herbalist but with no license from the National Drug Authority (NDA)."
Justice David Batema presided over the ruling
Court Ruling
This week, Justice David Batema ruled that the circumstances of the case indicated that the deceased was under Kasadha's care and that he was responsible for her life, knowing she had a serious mental problem. The judge pointed out that if Ataliba had cut herself, the knife would have been found on or near her body. Kasadha admitted to removing the knife and throwing it outside, suggesting he acted in panic and confusion. The judge further noted that the wound was too deep to have been self-inflicted by Ataliba, contradicting Kasadha's claims.
The Iganga High Court sentenced Kasadha to 44 years in prison for murdering Ataliba, whom he was entrusted to treat. Justice Batema relied on circumstantial evidence to convict Kasadha, observing that Ataliba died while under his care after being taken to his shrine for ritual cleansing. In his ruling, the judge emphasized that Kasadha, as a traditional healer, was meant to save his patient’s life. Instead, he described the murder as an act of child sacrifice, given the absence of any grudge or provocation to justify the gruesome act.
Before passing judgment, the judge considered that Kasadha was a first-time offender with no previous criminal record and the breadwinner for his family. However, the judge expressed concern that Kasadha remained unrepentant and showed no remorse. He concluded that a tough sentence was necessary to deter others from contemplating similar heinous acts.
“Having heard and considered all the mitigating and aggravating factors in this case, I sentence the accused to 44 years of imprisonment,” the judge ruled.
Victoria Bwenene, the defense lawyer, argued that the court should have been lenient with Kasadha, considering that he was a first-time offender, a father of five children, and responsible for two wives.
