The Court of Appeal has upheld the 12-year prison sentence for Godfrey Wamala, also known as Troy, over the killing of Ugandan musician Moses Nakintije Ssekibogo — better known as Mowzey Radio.
Wamala had appealed both the conviction and the sentence, saying the trial court got it wrong. He claimed there were inconsistencies in the evidence and called the 14-year sentence — which had already been trimmed to 12 years and three months after factoring in time spent on remand — too harsh.
A panel of three justices disagreed.
Justices Christopher Gashirabake, Dr Asa Mugenyi, and John Mike Musisi dismissed the appeal entirely. They said the trial judge made the right call in convicting Wamala of manslaughter.
A bar fight, a fall — and a life cut short
Mowzey Radio, one of Uganda’s most influential musicians and a co-founder of the Goodlyfe Crew, died in February 2018. He had been hospitalized for days after suffering head injuries during a fight at De Bar in Entebbe.
He had been slammed to the ground. His head hit the concrete.
Two witnesses — Pamela Musimire and David Otim, also known as Producer Washington — told the court they saw Wamala assault Radio that night.
“The appellant was properly identified by PW1 as being the one who assaulted the deceased,” the justices wrote in their ruling. “We respectfully disagree with the assessors. We find that this ingredient — causation of death — has been proved beyond reasonable doubt.”
Wamala’s defense had claimed the bar was too dimly lit for proper identification. The judges rejected that.
“Contradictions as to whether the source of light was a bulb or a fluorescent tube are immaterial… all witnesses agreed there was ample lighting,” the court said.
Flight, not innocence
The court also pointed to Wamala’s actions after the incident — specifically, that he fled and went into hiding.
“His sudden disappearance from the area is incompatible with innocent conduct,” the judges said. He had left behind personal belongings.
Sentence stands
Wamala’s lawyer had asked the court for leniency — five years, not twelve — and cited other cases where shorter sentences had been handed down.
But the court didn’t budge.
“The degree of injury inflicted, especially to the head, and the fact that the deceased was thrown onto a concrete floor causing severe internal damage, justified a heavier sentence,” the judgment read.
They concluded the 12-year, three-month term was consistent with sentences in similar manslaughter cases.
The appeal — Criminal Appeal No. 361 of 2019 — brings an end to a case that’s lingered for years. Mowzey Radio’s death shook Uganda’s music world and left a fan base in grief.
For some, the ruling may bring a measure of closure.
