The police in the districts of Lwengo, Bundibugyo, and Rwampara are actively investigating three separate cases of murders arising from domestic violence. For instance, on September 18, 2023, a 28-year-old peasant farmer named Kiiza Emmanuel, residing in Namabaale village, Ndagwe parish, Lwengo district, committed a horrifying act. He beheaded his 3-year-old son, Muwanguzi Augustine, also known as Kazungu, in a ritualistic act of murder for wealth.
The victim, who was living with his grandmother Tugumisiriza Florence, went missing, prompting her family to enter the suspect’s house after they saw him carrying a sack. Inside, they discovered an area with fresh soil. Upon further investigation, they found the headless body of the 3-year-old victim. They immediately alerted the neighboring communities about the horrific murder, leading to the arrest of the suspect in Kyantale village. An angry mob recovered the chopped-off head of his son from the sack and began beating him. However, he was rescued and detained at Lwengo police station. The suspect, who also worked as a boda boda rider, claimed he was taking the severed head to Kampala to deliver it to a Hajji, known only by face, and Kiwewa Henry of Makindye. They had promised him a bag full of dollars upon delivery. The victim’s T-shirt and red clothes with suspected bloodstains were recovered. Both the head and headless body were transported to Masaka for post-mortem and DNA analysis.
In a separate incident, the territorial police in Rwenzori West and Bundibugyo have in custody a retired UPDF soldier, Bangi Ibrahim, aged 55, who killed his son, Tumusiime Alali, a 22-year-old peasant from Bundibugyo village, Bubukwanga sub-county in Bundibugyo district. He used a bow and arrow after his family attacked him on September 23, 2023, at around 11 pm.
In another case, police in Rwizi region and Rwampala police station have in custody a father identified as Mucunguzi Wilberforce, aged 49, who, along with his wife, tortured their son, Besisira Davis, an 18-year-old student of Rwampara Vocational School in Bushenyi cell, Nyakabure parish, Rugando sub-county in Rwampara. This occurred on September 23, 2023, at around 4 am. Efforts are underway to locate the mother of the victim, Natukunda Provia, aged 44, who is currently on the run.
The victim had gone into hiding after misappropriating school fees amounting to Ugx 640,000/=. The parents tracked him down to his aunt’s home and subjected him to torture throughout the evening until 4 am. The victim was eventually rescued by an area councilor, who pleaded for him and arranged for his medical treatment. He later accompanied him back to school. Unfortunately, the victim’s condition worsened at school around 2 am, and he was rushed to Kimono HC IV, where he succumbed to the injuries caused by the torture at 4 am.
The police strongly condemn such acts of brutality where children of all ages are viewed as property and subjected to torture, sometimes resulting in death. They call upon the community, local leaders, and child defenders to collaborate with Child and Family Protection officers in addressing the risks faced by children in toxic domestic settings.
