The killers of the former Masindi district health officer, Dr. Jino Abiriga have pleaded guilty of murdering the health official and convicted of murder.
While appearing before Lady Justice Babirye Mary, the resident judge of the High Court in Masindi on thursday September 11,2025, Betty Cherotich, the deceased’s wife, Martin Kipsang, and Joshua Namureng pleaded guilty of killing Dr. Abiriga and pleaded for forgiveness.
However, the Masindi Resident State Attorney, Naziri Charlotte said the degree of injury caused to the deceased was serious and was a traumatic experience to the family, the deceased was a respected doctor providing essential health services.
This now brings the total number of suspects to three, including; Cherotic Betty, aged 31 (wife to the deceased), and Kipsang Martin alias Chesebe, a 34-year-old, carpenter of Roruk village, Amanang sub county in Bukwo district.
The trio conspired and murdered the Doctor.
It was established that the plot to murder the deceased, began after Cherotic Betty learnt about a second relationship, her husband had with Atuhura Suzan in Masindi.
The wife of the deceased, played a key role in the cold blooded, calculated and premeditated murder of her husband, said police report.
Abiriga’s body was found dumped in the neighbor’s compound, about 50 metres from his home
Detective files reveal that, Abiriga left his home in the morning, to attend a friend’s wedding and was later dropped at his home at around 9pm by his driver.
He went to sleep with his wife in their house while their children Angela Aseru aged 17; Maureen Cherotic, aged 14 a stepdaughter, Kenneth Cheprotich 11 a stepson, Jackline Afakoru 12 a niece, and Desire Arinaitwe 8, a daughter to his family friend slept in separate unit.
“It was very unfortunate, that the victim’s body was found with deep cuttings on the neck, multiple cuttings on the head, hand and dumped metres away from his residence.
An immediate search was conducted at the premises of the deceased, and suspected blood stains recovered from the walls in the bedroom and from under their marital bed, noted police.
The deceased’s wife reported that the victim was called on phone by someone, to go and carry out an operation on a patient and never returned home, there is no evidence yet, supporting her claim.
She revealed that the blood stains from her bedroom were from her menstrual cycle, added report.
The suspects were armed with two hand hoes, sticks plus other deadly weapons and found the gate opened before heading to the bedroom, where her husband was sleeping, revealed police file.
They hit the deceased with a hoe on the head, and dragged the body to the floor, where they slit his throat with the knife and killed the man instantly, added police report.
The three suspects cleaned the dead body, dressed it in a red T-shirt and blue trouser, carried it on a small ladder and dumped it 50 metres away, from his house.
