Kiboga, Uganda – In a significant development at the High Court in Kiboga, prison warder Moses Anguyo has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a fatal shooting at Kiboga Central Prison that left four people dead earlier this year.
On Monday, August 31, 2026, Anguyo, identified as Prison Warder No. 13544, admitted to four counts of murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, and one count of threatening violence before Justice Jane Okuo Kajuka during a special High Court session. He is jointly charged with three other suspects in a case involving a total of 11 counts related to the February 23, 2026, incident.
The prosecution alleges that Anguyo, while on duty at Kiboga Central Prison, used a service firearm to kill ASP Catharine Hope (also referred to as Hope Catherine), the deputy officer in charge; Principal Officer Bright Akishuri; Sarah Ayebare, the wife of the officer in charge; and the couple’s one-year-old son, Salson (or Salmon/Alson) Niwagaba. The child reportedly sustained gunshot wounds and later died at Kiboga Hospital.
According to court details and earlier reports, the shootings occurred during or around a routine inspection at the prison. Anguyo is also accused of robbing civilians in Kiboga Town Council of items including a pair of black jeans and an Arsenal jersey while armed with a gun, and of threatening to shoot or kill Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Ivan Niwagaba, the officer in charge and husband of one of the victims.
After the attack, Anguyo fled the scene, abandoned his firearm, changed into civilian clothes, and crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was arrested weeks later in Aru Town, Ituri Province, following a joint security operation involving Ugandan and Congolese forces. He was subsequently extradited and remanded.
The three co-accused—Peter Anziku, Dickson Okuonzu (also known as Peter Anziku or Dickson Okwonzi), and Hellen Anviko (described in reports as Anguyo’s girlfriend or relative)—face charges of being accessories after the fact. Prosecutors allege they helped him evade arrest between February 23 and late March 2026.
The case has drawn significant attention in Kiboga and nationally since the killings, which shocked the local community and the Uganda Prisons Service. Earlier court sessions saw Anguyo and his co-accused enter not-guilty pleas. During one hearing, Anguyo collapsed in the dock and required medical attention before proceedings continued. Witnesses, including survivor ASP Ivan Niwagaba, have testified about the events, with Niwagaba recounting how he escaped an attempted shooting while his wife and son were killed.
An armoury officer also testified that Anguyo signed out a gun with 30 rounds of ammunition on the morning of the incident. The trial, which has faced some delays including funding issues for witnesses, is being handled as a special session with the aim of concluding it efficiently.
Anguyo’s guilty plea on the main charges marks a turning point. Court proceedings remain ongoing for the full case, including the roles of the co-accused. Sentencing details for Anguyo have not yet been finalised in public reports.
The incident has highlighted concerns around workplace tensions, firearm access, and officer conduct within the prisons system. Uganda Prisons Service officials have previously emphasised cooperation with other security agencies in bringing the suspect to justice. Families of the victims and the local community continue to seek closure as the legal process advances.
This conviction on plea brings some resolution to a case that began with a sudden and violent outbreak at a government prison facility and ended with a cross-border manhunt. Further updates from the High Court in Kiboga are expected as the remaining aspects of the trial proceed.