Coffee thief gets eight months behind bars, victim dissatisfied
The presiding magistrate sentenced Nowamaani to eight months in prison, less the time already spent on remand. He explained that the convict was a first-time offender and did not waste the court’s time, having pleaded guilty to the offence.
Earlier, the prosecution, led by Emmanuel Tian, told the court that on October 23, 2025, Nowamaani entered Rugumayo’s coffee plantation and harvested about half a sack of fresh coffee berries.
IBANDA - Although he avoids eye contact with the complainant, Junior Nowamaani appears calm as he stands before the Ibanda Grade One Magistrate’s Court for the hearing of a coffee theft case against him.
After the prosecution reads out the brief facts of the case, he casually responds “guilty” when asked by the magistrate to take his plea.
The 24-year-old seems to have caught the complainant, Ericon Rugumayo of Katongore in Rwenkobwa town council, off guard, as Rugumayo had arrived with witnesses prepared to testify against him.
His Worship Samson Nseko subsequently convicted Nowamaani on his own plea of guilt.
Earlier, the prosecution, led by Emmanuel Tian, told the court that on October 23, 2025, Nowamaani entered Rugumayo’s coffee plantation and harvested about half a sack of fresh coffee berries.
He was later trailed to a nearby store where he had taken the coffee to sell.
“It was around 7.30pm when one of the workers saw him in the plantation and kept monitoring him until Nowamaani made his way out with the coffee that he took to a buyer,” said Tian.
He added that Nowamaani escaped after abandoning the coffee at the store, but was later arrested and charged accordingly. Only nine kilogrammes of the stolen coffee were recovered by the complainant.
The convict, who had previously denied the charges, had been on remand at Nyabuhikye Prison for more than three months before pleading guilty when he appeared in court on February 24.
The presiding magistrate sentenced Nowamaani to eight months in prison, less the time already spent on remand. He explained that the convict was a first-time offender and did not waste the court’s time, having pleaded guilty to the offence.
The prosecution had prayed for an appropriate sentence. Theft carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
The sentence appeared to bring relief to the convict, who had asked for leniency.
Nowamaani claimed he was unwell following alleged torture by fellow inmates while in police cells. He also told the court that he has two school-going children under his care.
Rugumayo, 60, expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence, describing it as too lenient.
“The court didn’t even order him to compensate me for the money lost following the case,” he added.