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Moving on after losing hands and an eye to domestic violence

Faith Ninsiima breaks down as she narrates her ordeal.

What you need to know:

Domestic violence. The year 2016 will be one that 28-year-old Faith Ninsiima will remember for a long time. On March 10, 2016, she woke up with all her limbs intact. But by the time the day ended, she had lost them both and an eye. Her husband had cut them all off. In just a few seconds she was amputated and left for dead, but it was not her time to die. She told Jessica Sabano her story.

“I first got married to a bodaboda cyclist and we had two children. My husband got an accident and died and I was left alone to take care of the children who are now aged 10 and four. After sometime, I married another man, Adolf Busingye who is also a bodaboda cyclist.
On the fateful day of March 10, 2016, I was seven months pregnant, expecting his baby. A few days before that, we had developed a misunderstanding. I had cultivated maize and the harvest was promising. Busingye came back home and asked me to sell off the maize and give him the money because he wanted to purchase a motorcycle.

My first husband had died due to a bodaboda accident on the road so when I married Busingye, who was a cyclist too, I was always worried about his life, and wanted to help him get another job. When he asked me for money to buy a motorcycle, I strongly objected. He did not like that and we quarreled.

Despite the quarrel, I still felt that I stood a chance of winning the argument. I also thought he had been disturbed earlier, where he had spent the day and so I decided I should give him supper, sleep, and then talk to him the next day when he was sober.

How it happened

Faith Ninsiima breaks down as she narrates her ordeal.


That did not happen. At around 8pm, I went to the kitchen to bring food. Busingye went to the store to bring a panga to mutilate me. As soon as I entered the house, even before I placed the food on the table, he cut off my left hand with a very sharp panga.
I cried out but he moved forward and cut off my second hand. The panga was so sharp that he never had to cut twice! I turned to run but fell down and he also cut me on the head! This cost me my eye! He then ran away may be thinking I was dead.

Getting help
It took two hours for neighbours to come to my rescue. They took me to a nearby health facility where I was given First Aid then I was transferred to Mulago hospital where I spent months nursing the wounds.

My relatives and friends took care of me until I got better. While still bedridden, some NTV journalists approached me for an interview and it was through that broadcast that Justice Margaret Mutonyi, the Resident Judge of Mukono High Court came to know about me and visited me at Mulago.

Back home
When I got better, I went back home but I was not my old self who used to do work on my own, take care of my children and also till our land for an income. My children had to be taken by friends since I could no longer cook or bathe them.

I needed someone to look after me 24 hours. Life became really hard. However, I was so shocked that Busingye was still a free man eve after my relatives had reported the case to Kyenjojo Police Station. Up to now, he has never been arrested by police to face the law and he keeps on threatening my relatives telling them to withdraw the case. I fell very insecure whenever i think of going back to Kyenjojo as my attacker is loitering freely.

A helping hand
One day, Justice Mutonyi came home to check on me. She found me in that state and as a Good Samaritan, she decided to take me to her home to care for me, and also mobilise resources from her fellow female judges to get me artificial limbs so that I can do something for myself and children. I really thank God for her generosity. She has really taken good care of me and may God reward her abundantly.

Greatest worries

Ninsiima has now learnt how to use her phone although she still has a long way to go with bathing herself.


However, I will never get married again basing on the tragic experience Mwesigye brought on me. My worry is about my three children and how they will achieve education. The eldest is Brian Atuhaire aged 10 now staying with his grandparents, David Atuyambe four, who stays with Pastor Ganyana at Banda Prayer Palace and my seven-month-old baby now in the care of Kyenjojo child centre.

All I want is to have a business to make some money. If I can get artificial limbs, I shall be able to do something for myself and make money for my children. I feel bad that they are scattered among different people. I want them to be together. I wish I could stay with my children at least during the holidays so I can be a mother to them, bathe them and cook for them. I would also wish for now to get someone to help me take care of Brian my oldest child. He stays with his grandparents but they are very old; They are in their 80s.”

Justice Margaret Mutonyi speaks about Ninsiima

“The police have failed to produce Mwesigye before courts of the law yet the offence he committed is capital in nature. I visited her and exchanged contacts and after she was discharged I felt sorry for her and decided to help her from my home and also help her get artificial limbs so that she can do something for herself since she was a good enterprising young woman.

Ninsiima is now living in fear because her attacker is free and he continues to threaten her family.


Since she came to my home, she has been cared for via clothing, feeding, bathing and everything but she keeps on worrying about her children who are not staying with her and who have been separated and given out to different people.

The beauty about this young lady is that she is still hopeful and feels that she can do something to help support her three children who have currently been separated. The eldest who is 10 is still in Kyenjojo with her first late husband’s parents.

The second who is four is the most affected of the three. He was adopted by Pastor Ganyana who says that when his friends try to beat him he always tells them that he will call Adolf who cut off his mother’s hands so that he can do the same to them. The baby is in a babies home back in Kyenjojo since she can’t take care of him.

Ninsiima is not safe when the suspect is at large and that’s why she is taking refuge at my home. This is an extreme example of domestic violence which is irreversible and therefore justice should be done, police should arrest this man because his intention was to kill her.
The cause of such domestic violence is as a result of failure to follow biblical principles; also poverty leads to domestic violence.”

Meanwhile, the Rwenzori Region spokesperson, Ms Lydia Tumushabe, said in a telephone interview that they have not arrested Busingye noting that he is on the run.