Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The International Crimes Division of the High Court has handed down a 40-year prison sentence to former commander Thomas Kwoyelo of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
Kwoyelo, convicted on 44 charges that include murder, rape, kidnapping, and pillaging, denied all accusations. His conviction marks a first in Uganda’s history, as he is the initial LRA commander to be tried and sentenced by a Ugandan court.
Kwoyelo’s charges stem from the LRA’s violent campaigns, led by Joseph Kony, that terrorized northern and northeastern Uganda throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. One of the most notorious attacks occurred in 2004, when LRA fighters stormed a camp for displaced people in Pagak, northern Uganda.
Women and children were reportedly beaten to death with clubs, underscoring the brutality of the group’s operations.
In determining Kwoyelo’s sentence, the court opted against capital punishment or life imprisonment, citing that he was forcibly recruited by the LRA as a child. Known for abducting minors and exploiting them as soldiers or forcing them into servitude, the LRA had forcibly recruited Kwoyelo at age 12.
The court noted that Kwoyelo had shown remorse and was assessed as no longer posing a danger to the public.
The LRA was initially active in northern Uganda before extending operations into the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Kwoyelo was captured in 2009, and later into the Central African Republic. Although largely inactive today, the group’s history left deep scars on affected communities.
Its leader, Joseph Kony, claimed to fight for a government based on biblical principles but was infamous for ordering gruesome acts, such as mutilating civilians. Despite international efforts, Kony has evaded capture, and the mission to bring him to justice was ultimately suspended as his activities waned.
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Originally, Kwoyelo faced 78 charges, but acquittals and dismissals reduced the count. With time served, he will now complete a 25-year sentence. His legal team has announced plans to appeal the conviction, with a two-week window granted by the court for filing. A separate hearing will address reparations for Kwoyelo’s victims.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) sentenced another LRA leader, Dominic Ongwen, to 25 years in 2021, similarly sparing him a life sentence due to his abduction as a child.
