Witchdoctor strangles two Stepchildren to death

Police in Bugiri district are hunting for a witchdoctor who allegedly killed his two stepchildren on Sunday night in a desperate quest for wealth.

Mr Bashir Mugoya, a resident of Kayaigo village in Buwunga Sub-county, is said to have strangled Amina Namukose, 8, and Hamid Kaduba, 6, at about 11:00pm, according to the Busoga East police Spokesman, Mr James Mubi.

Mr Mubi said the suspect first duped his wife Madinah Bayinzanakyi into escorting him to a colleague’s home to demand for his money but before they left the home, she took the children to their room and locked the house.

It is said that as the couple roamed the village that night, the suspect disappeared from his wife who, upon returning home later, found the door open with the children’s bodies sprawled on the floor.

After strangling the children, the suspect set the couple’s bed on fire to create an impression that the children had been killed in a suspected arson attack.

“Before the couple went out, the children were left in their room; however, we were baffled to find their bodies lying on the couple’s bed without any burns, which shows they were murdered,” Mr Mubi explained.

Adding: “The suspect has a shrine and is reported to have first performed some rituals prior to the incident. However, our investigations show that the children were strangled. We have recovered some physical evidence from the house and shrine that directly link him to the gruesome murder.”

Ms Bayinzanakyi said that when her husband asked to be escorted, she tried to refuse but he insisted.

“I closed the door and left home; but amidst the journey, he disappeared from me and when I returned home 30 minutes later, I found the house open and my children dead,” she said.
Ms Bayinzanakyi is said to have married the suspected fugitive felon two years ago and has never bore him any child.

By press time both bodies were lying in Bugiri Hospital mortuary as investigations continue.