The two women convicted of kidnapping two children from their mother

By Eddie Ssejjoba
The Makindye Chief Magistrate, Charles Sserubuga has sentenced a woman to twelve years in jail and another to seven years after convicting them of several offences related to child kidnap.
Sylvia Nakanwagi (25) a waitress in a restaurant on Mukwano Arcade in downtown Kampala was Friday convicted on six counts of kidnap, conspiracy to commit a felony, acts intended to cause grievous harm, causing grievous body harm and conspiracy to defeat justice.
Her accomplice, Phionah Nassaazi was convicted for the first three counts and was committed to seven years. The two women had on the previous day pleaded guilty to the offences.
The third accused, Denis Bwogi Ssebugwawo, a boda boda rider in Makindye pleaded not guilty and was remanded till July 19 when his trial is expected to start.
Court heard that in the month of March, Nakanwagi commissioned Nassaazi to kidnap two children, Prince Edema Kaizuka who was one and half months old by that time, and his brother Simon Kaizuka who was only three years.
Nassaazi stole the babies from their mother, Mariam Babirye, a food vendor in Nabisaalu zone in Makindye. They were recovered from Nakanwagi after a hunt that lasted for three months.
The state prosecutor, Fatina Nakafeero told court that during captivity, Nakanwagi used to torture Simon Kaizuka and inflicted on him body harm that could turn into permanent disability.
She said the act caused physical, mental and psychological torture to both parents and the victims.
Passing the sentence, the magistrate said the two women acted like beasts by inflicting pain and injury on innocent children. He directed Nakanwagi to have her own children and said the sentence should act as a warning to others intending to commit the same offence.
The police had apprehended over 10 suspects connected to this kidnap but eight were released after the arrest of the prime suspect.