Grace Icakuna,the first civilian woman to be sentenced to death for murder in the court martial in Uganda.

On the 30th October 2008 we visited the prisoners in Jinja Main prison; we also had an opportunity to meet Grace Icakuna a mother of 6, the first civilian woman to be sentenced to death for murder in the court martial in Uganda.
Grace and two others were sentenced to death for illegal possession of firearms.

According to the court, the trio paid to an assassin to kill Stephen, over a land dispute. It is said for Grace to participate in the murder she had been deceived by one of the co-accused that the deceased was the one who had killed her husband yet Grace Icakuna’s husband, Joseph Atubo, was killed by Karimojong warriors in 2006.

WHEN the court chairman, read out the verdict, Grace Icakuna(36years) burst out into a heart-rending cry.

Before the ruling, chaos reigned when Icakuna’s daughter, the seven-year-old Beatrice Akello, rushed to the Bukedea Police station screaming at the top of her voice. She had ran 13km from Kabutot Primary School to the court after rumors spread that her mother was about to be killed by firing squad. Akello is in P3.

As she cried, good Samaritans informed her that the trial was at the district headquarters, where she arrived just before the mother was lead to court. She fell on her bosom and wept. The soldiers allowed the mother and daughter a few moments in private. Icakuna’s youngest son, Joseph Atubo, is four years.

In the picture Icakuna Grace is weeping on a military truck taking her to jail

Icakuna Consoles her Daughter Beatrice

When we visited Grace we found her sited waiting for us and looking scared. Pauline interviewed her in Ateso because it’s the only language she knows. Pauline then introduced her to Wells of Hope by explaining who we are and what we do. Pauline Akol writes as follows:

I also told her that we had come to find out more about her family following what we had read in the newspapers and that we wanted to support some of her children.

Grace was so shocked that strangers would come looking for her to help because she thought no one would ever think of helping someone like her. She told us that she has six children and when she was imprisoned she left the children under the care of her eldest daughter called Agnes Akiteng who is14 years old.

The prison officers said they saw Agnes ,Grace’s eldest daughter when she had come to visit her and to their surprise she also has a child at that age coupled with all the responsibility of taking care of her siblings. They said she looked so frail, needy and she is the only one who has visited the mother since she was imprisoned in August 2008 in that unit.

Grace was able to give me clear directions to where I can find the children. Among the Six children, I later found out that not actually all of them are hers. Three of the children belong to her co wife who abandoned them and got married elsewhere, even after the death of their husband she has never taken care. Grace was the one living with them and had still continued to stay with them and educate them even after the death of her husband. She actually told me that if we are to consider paying school fees for the children we should not only consider her children but also the twins Opio& Odong 8yrs, who belong to her co wife because they are very bright and that she sees a big future in them. I was actually surprised at her kind heart. It is actually rare for women to be so concerned about their co-wives children as much as their own. She was so happy to know that she has people willing to help her and thanked us over and over In Ateso saying ” iyalama noyi noyi.”

In the pictures above(adapted from Newspapers) you will see Icakuna Grace and her daughter Beatrice and in another picture she is weeping on a military truck taking her to jail.We hope to get our own pictures when we visit the children.

Kindly Remember this family in your prayers.

Back To Top Of the Page