Woman sets house ablaze over husband’s failure to buy meat
Grass thatched house on fire. A woman in Namutumba has died after reportedly setting her house ablaze. Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- Another neighbour, Isabirye Nabongho, said on Sunday evening, the deceased was seen in Nalubabwe Trading Center buying Shs2,000 worth of petrol.
- Busoga East police spokesman, Mr James Mubi, condemned the act saying it was unfair for the husband to run away from home due to ‘pressure to buy meat and account for Shs20,000’.
Police in Namutumba are investigating circumstances under which a woman reportedly set her marital home ablaze and later died after her husband allegedly failed to buy her meat during the Easter festivities.
Joan Naigaga, a resident of Nakawano Village in Namutumba Sub-county, at the stroke of midnight, lured her two children; Samson Owere, 14 and his younger brother, John Ofwono, 11, to bed and set the house ablaze after failing to put up with the failure of her husband, Mukama Gwaivu, to buy her meat on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
The raging inferno left destruction in its wake and the trio severely burnt before they were rushed – in critical condition - to Budumba Health Centre III at about 3:00am. However, the wife succumbed to fire injuries at about 5:30am.
By press time, Ms Naigaga’s body lay at Budumba Health Centre III mortuary while her two children remain nursing wounds at the same facility.
According to Esther Namaganda, a neighbour, the deceased, on Easter Sunday developed a misunderstanding with her husband at about 2:00pm, faulting him for not buying her meat.
“On Good Friday, the couple sold their goat at Shs70, 000 and the husband used Shs50, 000 to pay school fees of their son Ofwono while the wife demanded for accountability of the remaining Shs20, 000 which the husband failed to account for,” Ms Namaganda narrated.
Adding: “The wife had proposed that they spend the Shs20, 000 on buying a Kilogramme of beef for Easter Sunday and another Kilogramme on Easter Monday. On Sunday morning, as the two returned from prayers at St Mathias Church in Nalubabwe Trading Center, the wife asked for the money to buy the meat which the husband didn’t have.”
According to Ms Namaganda, when the couple returned home, a fight ensued which forced the husband to leave for Budumba Village in Butaleja District where he spent Easter with his parents and didn’t return until this calamity struck.
“The husband’s failure to return home must have angered the wife who decided to kill herself with her children,” Ms Namaganda opined.
Another neighbour, Isabirye Nabongho, said on Sunday evening, the deceased was seen in Nalubabwe Trading Center buying Shs2,000 worth of petrol.
“We saw her buying petrol and to our surprise this morning, we were greeted with the sad news that Esther (as she was fondly called), burnt herself to death using the same petrol,” he said, adding that prior to the calamity, he first inhaled what smelt like fried meat coming from the deceased’s house at around 11:00pm which was followed by a plume of black smoke.
Busoga East police spokesman, Mr James Mubi, condemned the act saying it was unfair for the husband to run away from home due to ‘pressure to buy meat and account for Shs20,000’.
He, however, said investigations are ongoing to see that Mr Mukama is arrested and brought to book for abandoning his responsibility as a father in home.
