The High Court in Mukono has handed a 30-year jail sentence to a man for infecting his 15-year-old daughter with HIV.

The man, who has since been identified as Balutwanimana Juma, was convicted of aggravated defilement by Mukono High Court judge Margaret Mutonyi.

Unhappy with the decision, he appealed on grounds that the trial judge erred in law and facts when she failed to properly evaluate the evidence on record, accusing the court of giving him a harsh and excessive sentence of 30 years.

The three justices, who were led by Justice Richard Buteera, ruled that the appellant was sentenced to 30 years after going through a full trial. They further ruled that he wasted the court’s time, knowing he had committed the offence.

“We dismiss the entire appeal for lack of merit,” Justice Buteera ruled.

Uganda has experienced increasing levels of crime in the last few years. According to the 2022 Police Crime Report, the number of crimes committed in the country increased dramatically in 2022 when compared to the previous year.

The report indicated that the number of offences grew by more than 18% in one year compared to the previous one.

“A total of 231,653 cases were reported in 2022, up from 1960–81 in 2021. Thefts increased by 41% to 61508 from 43583 in 2021, while assaults increased by 9% from 29317 to 32041,” the report revealed.

In early September, police in Kiira Division embarked on an investigation following the untimely death of Godfrey Mbona, a 40-year-old man who served as Kira Division’s treasurer.

According to Luke Owoyesigyire, deputy spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, the incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at the Kira Division headquarters in Bulindo, Kira Division, Wakiso district.

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Red Paper