19-Year-Old Sentenced to Seven Years for Manslaughter of Parents in Salama Park

A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment with hard labour for the manslaughter of his parents in Salama Park in 2022.

Supreme Court Judge Gertrude Chawatama, sitting in the High Court, convicted Bushimbwa Mwakacheya on two counts of manslaughter over the deaths of his mother, Alphonsah Mwakacheya, and father, Nathaniel Mwakacheya.

The couple died on August 6, 2022, and their bodies were discovered in the garden of their family home the following day.

Mwakacheya had initially faced two counts of murder. However, the charges were reduced to manslaughter after medical evidence presented before the court established that he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of the offences.

In determining the sentence, the court considered the medical evidence, Mwakacheya's age and the circumstances surrounding the case.

Justice Chawatama also highlighted the growing number of cases involving loss of life within families and homes, and raised concern over the impact of drug and substance abuse among young people.

The court noted that Mwakacheya's actions had left his sister without both parents and that he would have to live with the consequences of his actions.

The sentence brings the case to a close more than four years after the deaths of the couple, while underscoring the court's consideration of both accountability and the circumstances surrounding the offences.