The High Court in Soroti has sentenced 37-year-old Vincent Odongo to 30 years in prison for the murder of his in-law, Joseph Onangu, following a dispute over dowry.

Judge Boniface Wamala delivered the ruling on Friday evening at the Soroti High Court. Odongo will effectively serve 24 years and eight months, after accounting for the five years and four months he had already spent on remand at Soroti Main Prison.

The tragic incident took place on May 4, 2020, in Kipinyanga village, where Odongo confronted Onangu for failing to refund the dowry he had paid for his former wife. Odongo had offered four cows as bride price, which he later demanded back from his ex-wife’s family following their separation. When Onangu, the woman’s father, declined to return the dowry, the situation escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the trial, five witnesses testified that Odongo attacked and strangled Onangu after repeated arguments about the dowry.

Odongo’s defense counsel, Francis Ajum, pleaded for leniency, citing his client’s poor health, particularly liver disease. On the other hand, the prosecution, led by Rebecca Namatala, pushed for the death penalty as the maximum punishment.

However, the judge opted for a 30-year imprisonment, condemning Odongo’s act as “brutal” and stressing that the sentence should serve as a warning to potential offenders.

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