KAMPALA, Uganda | A 35-year-old housemaid has been sentenced to 40 years in prison by the Magistrates Court in Kira Municipality, Wakiso District, after pleading guilty to charges of aggravated torture under the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012. The case involved the abuse of a four-year-old girl under her care.

Precious Tumuhirwe working as housemaid was arrested after a video recording showed her inflicting severe physical abuse on the child. The video, widely circulated, revealed acts of beating and violent handling of the child, causing significant physical and emotional harm. The incident occurred at the family’s home, where the child was left under the maid’s care.

During the hearing, State Prosecutor Cate Basuuta presented evidence showing the deliberate nature of the abuse. Basuuta stated that the housemaid had refused to let neighbors intervene and fled the scene after committing the acts of torture, leaving the injured child without immediate assistance. The prosecution sought a severe sentence to reflect the gravity of the offense.

Defense counsel Hellen Namutamba pleaded for leniency, arguing that the housemaid was a first-time offender and had cooperated with the authorities by pleading guilty. Namutamba informed the court that the housemaid was a single mother and the sole provider for her eight-year-old child.

The presiding magistrate sentenced the housemaid to 40 years in prison, citing the severity of the offense and the need to deter similar crimes. The court noted that the actions of the housemaid constituted a grave violation of trust and the rights of the child.

The case was prosecuted under the Prevention and Prohibition of Torture Act, 2012, which criminalizes acts of torture and prescribes strict penalties, including life imprisonment, for offenders.