Ibanda man sentenced to six years in prison for stealing groundnuts

Vincent Tumuhereze a 48-year-old man from Nyamuswiga, Kashangura in Kagongo Division, Ibanda Municipality, who was earlier convicted by the court over housebreaking and theft charges has been sentenced to six years in prison.

The court confirmed that he committed the crime on June 27, 2023, at Karindiriro Kashangura, when he broke into Mildred Kamasanyu's house and stole groundnuts valued at shillings100,000.

The court found Tumuhereze guilty of the offences after a lengthy hearing of the case. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to three years in jail on each of the two counts. The jail terms will run consecutively; that is one after the other.

While reading the sentence, her worshiper Esther Murungi said the convict was not remorseful despite the compelling evidence against him.

“I sentence you to three years in prison on each count, less of the eight months you have spent on remand. This will serve as an example to all those who want to reap from where they never sowed,” she said, adding that the sentences will run consecutively.

Earlier, when the court asked if he had anything to say before his sentencing, Tumuhereze prayed for a jail term of nine months.

However, the prosecution led by Emmanuel Tian had prayed for 17 years, which is the maximum sentence as one is reliable to serve up to seven years in prison when convicted of housebreaking and 10 years for conviction of theft.

Tian argued that though the convict was a first-time offender, he had wasted the court's time through a lengthy hearing. I, therefore, pray for a 17-year prison sentence for the convict to work as a deterrent for others.

With a smile on her face, Kamasanyu who attended all the course sessions declined to comment about the ruling.