Supreme Court Rules Minor Witness Testimony Can Uphold Murder Conviction
supreme court building.
By skika reporter
Kampala – The Supreme Court has ruled that credible testimony from a minor, supported by circumstantial evidence, can sustain a murder conviction even in the absence of a post-mortem report.
Delivering the judgment on January 30, 2026, a panel led by Justice Mike Chibita held that a post-mortem is not always necessary when other evidence sufficiently proves an unlawful death. Justices Elizabeth Musoke, Christopher Madrama, Catherine Bamugemereire, and Monica Mugenyi sat on the panel.
The ruling came while dismissing the appeal of Farouk Ssemwanje, whose 17-year jail sentence for the murder of Amon Matovu was previously upheld by the Court of Appeal. “We find that all the grounds of the appeal fail. We accordingly dismiss the appeal and uphold the decision of the Court of Appeal upholding the appellant’s conviction and the sentence it imposed,” Justice Chibita said.
Court records indicate that on the day of the attack, Matovu was assaulted at his Najjanankumbi home in Kampala by four or five young men, including Ssemwanje and the deceased’s grandson, Alex Wamala.
A key witness was 13-year-old Newton Kamoga, another grandson of Matovu, who lived at the house with his siblings. Kamoga testified that on returning to the house that morning, he found his grandfather bound and gagged. Despite threats from the attackers, he sought help from neighbours. Matovu was found in critical condition and later died.
The Supreme Court’s decision reinforces the principle that reliable non-medical evidence, including from minors, can play a decisive role in criminal convictions.
