The General Court Martial in Makindye, Uganda, has sentenced Hamza Lyavaala and Adil Walusansa to death for their involvement in the 2025 Munyonyo bomb attacks. The two military informers pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and were subsequently sentenced. Initially, they had denied the charges when arraigned alongside Lt. Col. Ephraim Byaruhanga on July 6, 2026.
The defence lawyers, Frank Kanduho and Major Busagwa, informed the court on September 18, 2026, that their clients wished to change their pleas. After explaining the implications of admitting the charges, the court established that both accused had voluntarily decided to plead guilty. The prosecution presented evidence that the attacks were premeditated and meticulously planned, resulting in extreme suffering and widespread public panic.
According to the prosecution, Lt. Col. Byaruhanga, Major Otto, and Major Rugumayo allegedly held a meeting at Goers Gardens in Namulanda approximately three weeks before the 2025 Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations. During the meeting, Byaruhanga reportedly gave Lyavaala money to secure a woman to carry out the mission in Munyonyo. A woman identified as Sumaiya was transported from the Busoga region, accommodated in a rented house, and handed explosives to deliver to Munyonyo.
The explosives were subsequently detonated on Sumaiya's body. The prosecution also presented evidence concerning another woman, Azatu, who was allegedly given fake explosives before being killed by operatives of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce (JATT) in Kalerwe. The court heard that Lyavaala and Walusansa had previously been involved in counter-terrorism activities.
In mitigation, the defence urged the court to impose a lenient sentence, citing the accused persons' guilty pleas and arguing that their admissions had saved judicial time and public resources. The lawyers also appealed to the court to consider their clients' family responsibilities, with Lyavaala having six children and four wives, and Walusansa having seven children and three wives.
However, the prosecution maintained that the offences were exceptionally grave and warranted the death penalty. The court acknowledged the voluntary guilty pleas, the convicts' previous involvement in counter-terrorism activities, and the judicial time and resources saved through their admissions. Nevertheless, the court emphasized that sentencing must go beyond rehabilitation to serve the broader ends of justice and protect society.
The court observed that the conduct of the two convicts demonstrated that they remained a permanent threat to society, before sentencing both Lyavaala and Walusansa to death. The two were subsequently informed of their right to appeal against the sentence.
Key points
- The General Court Martial in Makindye sentenced two military informers to death for their roles in the 2025 Munyonyo bomb attacks.
- The convicts, Hamza Lyavaala and Adil Walusansa, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder after initially denying the charges.
- The court acknowledged the voluntary guilty pleas but emphasized that sentencing must serve the broader ends of justice and protect society.
