The Court of Appeal in Uganda upheld the conviction of Faridah Nagayi, also known as Mariam, for the murder of her Finnish boyfriend, Tuomas Juha Terasvouri. However, the court reduced her sentence from 30 years to about 27 years, taking into account the time she had already spent in remand.
In February 2018, Tuomas Terasvouri and his colleague, Suvi Alindi, arrived in Uganda. He was received by his Ugandan girlfriend Faridah Nagayi.
Terasvouri and Nagayi checked into the Pearl of Africa Hotel in Kampala where they spent the night. Terasvouri was found in poor health the next morning.
Despite attempts to assist him, he was pronounced dead. An autopsy revealed that he had died from poisoning caused by a lethal mixture of drugs and pesticides.
Nagayi was arrested shortly after the cause of death was confirmed, and she was charged with murder.It was revealed during the trial that Nagayi had a history of using relationships for financial gain, which raised suspicions about her involvement in the murder. As a result, the High Court convicted her of murder and sentenced her to 30 years in prison.
Nagayi appealed the sentence, and on March 20, 2025, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but reduced her sentence to around 27 years, considering the time she had already spent in remand.
The Court of Appeal referred to the “doctrine of last seen,” noting that Nagayi was the last person seen with Terasvouri before his death. She was unable to offer a credible explanation for his sudden death, which played a key role in the conviction.
Despite considering mitigating factors like her age and status as a first-time offender, the seriousness of the crime led to a severe sentence.
