'I am being framed': Woman denies keeping Susan Magara before murder

KAMPALA - The Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, resumed the hearing of the case in which nine people are accused of kidnapping and murdering Susan Magara.

Susan, 28, a daughter of businessman John Magara, was kidnapped on February 7, 2018, along Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo, a Kampala city suburb, as she drove back to her home about three kilometres away.

Her kidnappers then contacted her family and demanded $1m (about shillings 3.65 billion) before they could release her.

Despite the family having delivered $200,000 (about 700 million) to the kidnappers, Magara was murdered in cold blood, and three weeks later, her body was recovered from Kigo in Wakiso district on February 27, 2018, where it had been dumped.

Defending herself in the matter under the guidance of her lawyer Richard Kumbuga on Tuesday, Hajara Nakandi denied keeping Magara at her home in Nateete as prosecution witnesses testified in the matter. High Court judge Alex Ajiji Mackay is presiding over the matter.

Nakandi said none of her co-accused, including Yusuf Lubega, Ismail Bukenya, Mahad Kisalita, Abubaker Kyewolwa, Abbas Musa Buvumbo, Hassan Kato, Hussein Wasswa, and Muzamir Ssali, had ever been to her home, and neither did she know any of them before the time of her arrest.

“My lord, I am being framed because the first charges to be preferred against me were in relation to terrorism, and suddenly things changed, and then charges with kidnapping and murdering Susan Magara. I, therefore, invite you, my lord, to take note of this and acquit me,” Nakandi said.

In regard to the scene reconstruction videos in which she admitted to the charges, Nakandi said she was coached by investigating officer Desire Wandera.

“Wandera told me to admit the charges and also state that Islam allows kidnapping and killing people, which is false,” Nakandi said.  

Asked about the motive of Wandera, Nakandi said he wanted to discredit Islam as a religion that condones the kidnapping and killing of people.

“My lord, I invite you to disregard whatever I said in those videos because I said them under duress. I was coached on what to say, and every statement I made was verbatim,” Nakandi said.

Regarding the prosecution's evidence that it was her vehicle (Mitsubishi) used to transport Magara from her residence in Nateete to Konge in Makindye division, where the prosecution claims she was killed, Nakandi said, “My lord, this is not true”.

Concerning the ransom money, Nakandi said, “I have never received or touched on the said money as it is alleged by the prosecution, and no money was recovered from me by the investigating team.”

About the prosecution's evidence that she was among those present when Magara’s fingers were being chopped off, Nakandi denied the allegations.

Nakandi also accused Wandera of raping her. Hearing of the case resumes on November 13, when Nakandi is expected to complete her defence and be cross-examined by the prosecution.

Chief State Attorneys Joseph Kyomuhendo, Sherifah Nalwanga, and Irene Nakimbugwe are prosecuting the matter.

The allegations

The prosecution alleges that the accused and others still at large on February 7, 2018, kidnapped Magara with the intent to procure a ransom for her liberation from the danger of being murdered.

The indictment indicates that Magara was a victim of a ransom scheme hatched by Byensi, a former Allied Democratic Force (ADF) combatant who hails from Bunyoro, just like Susan, and that he was known to her family.

Armed with the information, the suspects, according to the prosecution, started training her until they kidnapped her on February 7, 2018.

Following her kidnap, the suspects allegedly first held her at Nakandi’s home in Nateete and later at Bukenya’s home in Konge II in Makindye Division, Kampala, from where her two fingers were chopped off and sent to her family to show them how determined they were to kill her if the ransom money was not paid.

The indictment indicates that the suspects resolved to kill her because releasing her would expose them.

Prosecution says the suspects used part of the money to procure land in Buikwe and Luwero districts, respectively.