Ex-LRA Commander Kwoyelo Given 40 Years in Jail

10/29/2024

The International Crimes Division of Uganda’s High Court (ICD) has sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in jail over war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

The sentence was delivered Friday by a four-member panel of judges of the ICD sitting at Gulu High Court in Northern Uganda. 

Kwoyelo was convicted in August this year of 44 crimes relating to murder, torture, rape, pillaging, kidnapping with intent to murder, cruel treatment, and outrages to personal dignity. The crimes were committed between March 1993 and June 2005 in Kilak County, in Lamogi and Pabbo Sub-counties in Amuru district. 

He will serve 25 years of the 40 years’ jail sentence after the deduction of 15 years, the period he spent in custody at Luzira Maximum Prison since his incarceration in 2009. 

Justice Michael Elubu in his sentencing judgement noted that the 40-year jail sentence on murder charges properly reflects the overall criminality of Thomas Kwoyelo. 

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