Man kills father over a vanilla plantation, goes into hiding

Police in Kagadi have launched a manhunt for a man who is alleged to have brutally killed his father over a vanilla plantation.

The suspect is a resident of Kahanama village in Burora Sub County in Kagadi District and is on the run.

He is reported to have hacked his 65-year-old father Mr Charles Barakabya using a panga and a spear with the intention of taking his vanilla plantation, on Wednesday morning.

According to the children and Ms Loida Kyalimpa, one of the wives to the deceased, they were in a different garden but they heard Barakabya crying for help, saying he has been stabbed by his son.

Mr Alexander Maniragaba, the village chairperson for Kahanama village said Barakabya and his son have had land wrangles for long.

The chairperson said that the case had been reported at both Burora police post and Kagadi police station.

‘‘The two have been embroiled in a wrangle over family property. When we got information, we just rushed to the scene,’’ Mr Maniragaba said.

Mr Julius Jingo, the Officer in Charge Kagadi police station said they have launched a manhunt for the suspect in connection to the murder.

Despite claims by residents that the suspect could have killed his father to inherit his vanilla plantation, Jingo said investigations are still underway to establish the actual motive of the murder.

‘‘Domestic violence is increasing because of property. Parents and their children are disagreeing over the sharing of family property. We know that the suspect has been at loggerheads with the deceased over the vanilla garden,’’ Mr Jingo said.