Kalungu man burns his 14-year-old daughter over missing Shs5000
Faith Namwanje, 14, who was severely burnt by her father. PHOTO | GERTRUDE MUTYABA
What you need to know:
- The victim is a Senior Two student at St. Ronald SS Kyamuliibwa in Kalungu District.
Police in Kalungu District are hunting for David Ssenabulya, the biological father of 14-year-old Faith Namwanje, who is accused of severely burning her over a dispute involving Shs 5,000.
The victim is a Senior Two student at St. Ronald SS Kyamuliibwa in Kalungu District.
It is alleged that on the fateful day last month, Ssenabulya returned from the garden and called his daughter, asking her to go to the shop to buy a rope and a razor blade, an errand she reportedly completed without question.
"When I came back, my father tied both my hands together, took me to the goat pen, hung me up, and lit a fire. The flames started burning my lower body," Namwanje recounts.
According to Namwanje, after burning her, her father fled the scene on a motorcycle and headed back to Kyamuliibwa Township. Despite the intense pain, she managed to untie herself, ran to find water, and poured it over her body in an attempt to relieve the burning. Namwanje explains that her father later returned and discovered the Shs 5,000, which he had earlier accused her of stealing. Realizing his mistake, he rushed her to a nearby health facility, where she received first aid, before being referred to Villa Maria Hospital for further treatment.
Ms. Noreen Nakivumbi, the victim’s mother, stated that her daughter was staying with her grandmother, who was recently taken to Kiruddu Hospital after falling ill. "When my mother-in-law was taken to the hospital, her father came and took her, claiming he couldn’t allow his daughter to live with boys without the supervision of an elder. Since then, he has been torturing her," said Nakivumbi.
Nakivumbi, a fishmonger in the island district of Kalangala, expressed deep concern over her daughter's condition, describing it as critical and deteriorating. "Her wounds are worsening, and I’m desperate. I don’t have enough money to afford the treatment she urgently needs," Nakivumbi said. "I’m asking the public to help me save my daughter’s life." Nakivumbi said her ex-husband fled the scene immediately after committing the offense.
The acting Police Spokesperson for Greater Masaka, Faisal Magumba, confirmed the incident and stated that the search for Ssenabulya is underway. However, he condemned the anger directed at children by some parents and urged them to seek alternative ways of disciplining children rather than resorting to violence. “From the reports we have received, the mother knew about her daughter’s condition two weeks ago, but it is a month now since the victim was burnt,” he said.
The Monitor has learnt that Maj General Proscovia Nalweyiso Saturday evening offered to meet Namwanje’s medical bills and supported the mother to transport her to Nakasero Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.
