The High Court in Kabale has sentenced Fausta Mukankusi, 41, and Innocent Niyonzima, 26, to Ndorwa Government Prison for the murder of 70-year-old Florence Bashimiki. The murder, rooted in a family land dispute, was orchestrated by Mukankusi, the daughter of the victim, and executed by Niyonzima, a driver from Kisoro municipality.
Justice Samuel Emokor, presiding over the court, found the defendants guilty under Sections 188 and 189 of the Penal Code. The case was prosecuted by Kabale State Attorney Isaac Onyango, with Felix Bakanyebonera from M/S Bakanyebonera & Co. Advocates representing the defense.
Despite the defense’s plea for a lighter sentence for Mukankusi, citing her responsibility for six children, Justice Emokor underscored the premeditated nature of the crime. “Mukankusi meticulously planned her mother’s murder, enlisting Niyonzima to carry out the heinous act,” Emokor stated. He praised the investigators and prosecutors for their diligence, which ensured Mukankusi did not escape justice despite her nearly perfect execution of the crime.
Justice Emokor also condemned Niyonzima for participating in the murder, which was not his personal concern.
Both Mukankusi and Niyonzima were sentenced to 30 years in prison, with time already spent in remand deducted from their sentences.
In Kisoro, our reporter visited the scene of the crime in Nyaruyaga village, where resident Alex Hakiza recalled discovering Florence Bashimiki in a pool of blood days after the murder.
Additionally, Brian Hakizimana, 22, another convict in the case, had pleaded guilty earlier in the trial and received a 30-year prison sentence.
The community remains shocked by the brutal nature of the crime and the betrayal involved, as they continue to come to terms with the loss of Florence Bashimiki.
ENDS////
