High Court is due to deliver its verdict in the case of nine people accused of kidnapping and murdering businesswoman Susan Magara in 2018.
The judgment is expected to be delivered by High Court Judge Alex Mackay Ajiji following a trial that has lasted several years and involved testimony about ransom demands, torture and the killing of the 28-year-old.
The nine accused are Yusuf Lubega, Mahad Kisalita, Ismail Bukenya, Muzamir Ssali, Abubaker Kyewolwa, Hassan Wasswa, Abbas Musa Buvumbo, Hussein Kato Miiro and Hajara Nakandi.
Court assessors Sarah Babirye, Brenda Magoba and Ritah Padera have recommended that all nine be convicted saying the prosecution proved the charges of kidnapping with intent to procure a ransom and murder beyond reasonable doubt.
The final decision, however, rests with Judge Ajiji.
Susan Magara, the daughter of businessman John Magara was abducted on 7 February 2018 as she drove along Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo, Kampala.
Her car was later found abandoned in Lungujja with its engine still running.
The kidnappers contacted her family and initially demanded $1m (£760,000) for her release.
Her father negotiated the amount down to $200,000 roughly Sh700m at the time. But the payment did not save her.
One of the most disturbing pieces of evidence presented during the trial concerned a package sent to Magara’s family while negotiations were under way.
According to the prosecution, the package contained two of Magara’s fingers and a memory card containing video footage of her after the fingers had been cut off.
The prosecution said the material was intended to pressure the family into paying the ransom and demonstrate that the kidnappers were prepared to harm her if their demands were not met.
Her father, John Magara later told the High Court how the family eventually paid the $200,000 ransom.
The family had hoped the payment would secure Susan’s release. Instead, she was killed.
The prosecution alleges that the kidnappers became concerned that releasing Magara would expose their identities.
According to the case presented in court, she had spent several weeks with her captors and could potentially identify some of them.
The prosecution alleges that the suspects subsequently decided to kill her rather than release her.
Police pathologist Dr Moses Byaruhanga told the court in 2023 that Magara had died from manual strangling caused by lack of oxygen.
The prosecution has also alleged that some of the ransom money was later used to acquire vehicles and land in Buikwe and Luwero districts.
Magara’s body was discovered in Kigo, Wakiso District, on 27 February 2018, about three weeks after she was abducted.
Her death shocked Uganda and became one of the country’s most high-profile kidnapping cases.
Her father had previously told the court that the family had paid the ransom in the hope of bringing her home safely.
The case has taken years to reach judgment.
The nine suspects have faced charges of kidnapping with intent to procure a ransom and murder. The prosecution has alleged that the group worked with other people who remain at large.
The proceedings have been interrupted several times.
In 2025, the case was delayed after one of the accused, Hussein Wasswa, produced a birth certificate suggesting he was 16 at the time of his arrest. The prosecution asked for time to verify the document.
The court has also previously dealt with allegations by the accused that some of their statements were obtained through torture. In October 2025, Justice Ajiji dismissed an application connected to those claims on procedural grounds.
The court assessors have recommended convictions, but their views are not binding on the judge.
Judge Ajiji must consider the evidence presented during the trial, including witness testimony, forensic evidence and the prosecution’s case before reaching his own conclusions.
If the judge finds the accused guilty, the court would then proceed to the sentencing stage. If they are acquitted, they would be free to leave custody unless held on another lawful basis.
For her family, the verdict represents the culmination of more than eight years of waiting for a definitive judicial finding over who was responsible for her kidnapping and death.
