Family of five perishes in house fire, one arrested
The hut in which five members of the same family were burnt to death. PHOTO BY DENIS OMONY
What you need to know:
- Aswa Regional Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema told Daily Monitor that one person has already been arrested in connection to the gruesome killing.
- In 2016 , over 30 huts were burnt down in Koch goma Sub County, Nwoya District in retaliation to the murder of five Children by Denis Okema who torched the hut targeting his divorced wife.
NWOYA. Residents of Kal A village, Koch-goma Sub County in Nwoya District were on Thursday left in shock after a family of five people burnt to death in their hut.
Police identified the deceased as John Kennedy Oketa-ayot Wod Achieng, 45, a businessman, his wife Agnes Apiyo, 32 and their three children; Nyapolo Rebecca, 6, John Gum-kura, 4 and Angel Laker Angel Lucky,2.
Ms Kaspher Adong, a neighbor to the victims said she was woken up by an alarm but noted that when she got out, the whole hut was engulfed in flames.
“A relative to the deceased persons tried saving them but in vain, he tried knocking down the wall of the hut but the roof of the hut caved in on the five who were struggling inside the hut,” Ms Adong said.
She added that although police visited the scene, they couldn’t do much to save the victims since they did not have a fire-fighting truck.
By the time the fire was put out, the victims had reportedly been burnt to death and their bodies had reduced to half their normal sizes.
The deceased elderly brother, David Odong Kabende told Daily Monitor on Thursday, he suspected the victims could have been torched over land wrangles the family has been battling in court since 2010.
“In 2010, Wod Achieng survived arson attacks after unknown persons set fire on the grass thatched house he was sleeping in at night,” Mr Kabende said.
LCIII Chairperson Kochgoma Sub County, John Bosco Okullo dissuaded the bereaved family from revenge attack on people they suspect to be behind the gruesome act.
“They should give a chance to the police to do their investigations so that justice is seen,” he said.
Aswa Regional Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema told Daily Monitor that one person has already been arrested in connection to the gruesome killing.
He said the suspect is being detained at Nwoya Central Police Station pending further investigation into the matter.
He however declined to name the suspect saying it could provoke revenge attack by the family of the deceased on the suspect.
In 2016 , over 30 huts were burnt down in Koch goma Sub County, Nwoya District in retaliation to the murder of five Children by Denis Okema who torched the hut targeting his divorced wife.
