Mathew Kirabo, the prime suspect in the 2015 murder case of his then-girlfriend, Desire Mirembe, has been arrested after more than 3 years of going missing. Mathew Kirabo, who had been on the run since November 3, 2021, when he absconded from court during the trial, was apprehended by Interpol in Nairobi, Kenya. His arrest marks a crucial breakthrough in a case that has spanned several years.
Desire Mirembe, a former Makerere University medical student, tragically disappeared on July 10, 2015, and her lifeless body was discovered in a sugarcane plantation in Lugazi, Buikwe district, just a day later. Kirabo, her boyfriend at the time, had confessed to the gruesome act and was initially charged at the Jinja High Court before being remanded at Nalufenya prison in Jinja. Subsequently, he was granted bail on November 24, 2016, and remained at large until his recent arrest.
The case against Kirabo had been transferred to the Mukono High Court upon the instructions of the then Principal Judge Yorokamu Bamwine, who responded to the state’s argument that the crime had been committed within the Mukono jurisdiction.
In 2021, the Mukono High Court ruled that Mathew Kirabo had a case to answer regarding the murder of Desire Mirembe. During the trial, the state presented evidence from 15 witnesses to bolster their case against the accused.
Despite Kirabo’s disappearance from court in November 2021, the pressure from Desire Mirembe’s family to expedite justice continued to mount. They emphasized that if a date could be set to hear the suspect’s application, then a date should also be scheduled for the main case.
Emmanuel Musoke, the father of Desire Mirembe, expressed his excitement and satisfaction with the recent ruling in 2021. However, he also expressed disappointment in what he perceived as the judiciary and police’s lethargy in apprehending Mathew Kirabo earlier, given the substantial evidence provided by the 15 witnesses during the trial.
The arrest and conviction of Mathew Kirabo bring a sense of closure to a long-standing and emotionally charged case. As the legal proceedings continue, the focus now turns to the upcoming sentencing, which will determine the consequences that Kirabo will face for his role in the tragic murder of Desire Mirembe.