Former police officer Stephen Murombo has been sentenced to serve one and a half years in prison for the negligent handling of his firearm, which was subsequently stolen by his colleague, Ivan Wabwire, and used in the murder of an Indian money lender.

On Monday, Buganda Road Grade One Magistrate Fidelis Otwao handed down the sentence following Murombo’s Plea Bargain Agreement with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Plea Bargain was presented in court by State Attorney Shiphrah Nidoi during an update on the investigation’s status. Murombo faced two charges: neglect of duty and failure to safeguard firearms and ammunition.

According to the prosecution, on May 12th, 2023, at Central Police Station Kampala, Murombo, then a police officer in the Uganda Police Force, left a sub-machine gun with 120 rounds of ammunition in an improper location. Police Constable Ivan Wabwire found the weapon, which he was not authorized to possess, and used it to commit the murder of Uttam Bhandari.

The plea bargain agreement, a copy of which has been reviewed by Uganda Radio Network, specifies that while the maximum sentences for these crimes could have been five and two years, respectively, Murombo negotiated for a one-year and six-month prison term as the highest sentence.

For the failure to protect firearms and ammunition charge, the parties agreed on a one-year jail term, with both sentences to run concurrently. Murombo accepted the charges and pleaded guilty in the plea bargain agreement.

The agreement also includes a statement by Murombo affirming his voluntary and informed plea, with full knowledge of the case’s facts, the offense’s elements, and his constitutional rights. He has agreed to cooperate with the prosecution and testify as a witness in the case against Wabwire.

Importantly, the agreement makes it clear that Murombo had no intention of using the firearm for any criminal activities and did not intend to cause Uttam Bhandari’s death. It highlights his remorse and the potential he holds for society.

Magistrate Otwao, after endorsing the agreement, deducted the time Murombo spent on remand. He confirmed that Murombo voluntarily and intelligently waived his constitutional and statutory rights, accepting the guilty plea and incorporating the agreement into the case docket.

Murombo was dismissed from the police force by the Police Disciplinary Court in May and is currently serving his sentence at Luzira Prison. Ivan Wabwire is awaiting trial in the High Court on murder charges, having been committed for trial two weeks ago by the same court.