Fort Portal court jails man 28 years for defiling stepdaughters

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The High Court in Fort Portal has sentenced a man to 28 years in prison after he admitted to defiling his two young stepdaughters, aged five and four years.

Resident judge Vincent Wagona handed down the sentence on Friday (April 24) after the convict, Robert Kiiza, entered into a plea bargain agreement with the state and pleaded guilty to the charges. Plea bargaining is commonly used by the Judiciary to speed up the disposal of criminal cases and reduce backlog.

Court heard that on January 18, 2025, at around 10:00 am, Kiiza sexually abused the two minors at their home in Karago A cell, North Division, Fort Portal city, while their mother had gone to a nearby trading centre for casual work.

The prosecution further told court that the abuse had occurred on several occasions whenever the children’s mother was away from home, yet he was well aware that he was HIV positive.

During sentencing, Justice Wagona said the offence was grave, given the tender age of the victims and the fact that the accused was a person entrusted with their care. The court noted that the sentence should serve as both punishment and a warning to other would-be offenders.

Second conviction

The same court also sentenced a 45-year-old man to 12 years in prison after he admitted to defiling his 16-year-old niece.

The convict, Peter Baguma alias Arapi, was also sentenced on Friday, after he entered a plea bargain agreement and pleaded guilty to the offence.

Peter Baguma in the dock. (Photo by Jonan Tusingwire)

According to the prosecution, the offence occurred on July 7, 2025, at around 5:00 pm in Mahamba village, Hakibale, in Kabarole district.

Court heard that the victim’s mother had left her children at home and travelled to Hakibale subcounty. When she returned later that evening, the 16-year-old girl reportedly attempted to confide in her mother about the incident, but the mother, who was exhausted, asked her to sleep and explain the matter the following day.

The next morning, the teenager disclosed that her uncle and neighbour, Baguma, had sexually abused her. The matter was immediately reported to the police, and a medical examination confirmed the abuse.

Ruth Ongom, a lawyer who represented the victims, said the two men deserved a harsher punishment, adding that the sentence handed down by court does not match the gravity of the crime.

Speaking after the court session, the International Justice Mission lawyer said the punishment should have been more severe because of the age of the children and the relationship of the offender to the victims.

“They should have received a harsher punishment because these are very young children, and this was their parent and he was HIV positive,” Ongom said.

She noted that the children were particularly vulnerable because of their tender age and the fact that the abuse was allegedly committed by a parent, a person who should have been responsible for their protection and care.