Mathew Kanyamunyu has been released from Luzira Upper Prison after serving a reduced sentence of 3 years and 5 months for the 2018 shooting of child rights activist Kenneth Akena.
Kanyamunyu’s murder charge was reduced to manslaughter by the Director of Public Prosecution following a plea bargaining session held at the High Court criminal division in Kampala.
Kanyamunyu, who had initially faced murder charges alongside his girlfriend Cynthia Munwangari, participated in a traditional ritual known as Mato Oput, an Acholi term that means “to drink a bitter portion made from the leaves of the ‘oput’ tree,” which presented an interesting and challenging aspect to his legal defense.
Due to his guilty plea and cooperation, Kanyamunyu was sentenced to 5 years in jail, of which he has now completed his term and been released.
