Kumi blast victims had visited grandfather for Christmas
A picture of a hand grenade. Three children were killed on Wednesday while playing with a grenade at their grandfather's home in Adjumani District. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- According to their grandfather, Mr Richard Okipi, the children started their day running from one side of their family compound to the other, until later in the afternoon, when their curiosity led them into a live explosive wrapped in a polythene bag.
Wednesday presented a chance for three children in Kumi District to explore their curiosity but all did not end well.
Their joy to explore the grandfather’s compound turned deadly as an explosive mistaken for a ball blew up in their faces.
According to their grandfather, Mr Richard Okipi, the children started their day running from one side of their family compound to the other, until later in the afternoon, when their curiosity led them into a live explosive wrapped in a polythene bag.
On spot, the explosive claimed the life of Dinah Mary Acam, 4, while Patricia Ingolet, 5, died at her hospital bed in Ongino hospital.
The other, Brian Epaja, 8, is still struggling for his life in hospital as the already agonised grandparents stare at the reality of burying all their grandchildren on the same day.
Visit of no return
The grandchildren belonging to Ms Betty Adong and Mr Moses Alenger, who divorced three years ago, had come to visit their mother at her home in Kanapa Village, Kanapa Sub-county, when the tragic deaths unfolded.
Mr Okipi says his grandchildren found the polythene bag behind the house of Francis Okaje, a former UPDF officer.
“The children with their inquisitive nature, later used the object as a small ball, that is when tragedy unfolded, claiming the life of my grandchildren, one died on the spot, the other, the stomach was reduced to threads by the time she was rushed to hospital,” he says.
Epaja, 8, who is being treated at Ongino hospital, told Daily Monitor that it’s her younger sister, Acam, who picked the explosive.
“The bang was so loud, I saw my sister pushed a distance by the loud bang, I saw Patricia with a damaged stomach,” he says.
Ms Adong says she had brought her children to celebrate Christmas with her.
“I can’t control my emotions, how will I do without my children, and what will I tell Moses?” she yelled as she looked towards the hospital morgue in Ongino where the bodies of the deceased children lay.
Mr Alenger, the father of the deceased, in company of other relatives, who were yesterday intercepted from staging a revenge attack on his in-laws’ home, claims that the explosive could have been set up by his in-laws to kill his children.
Father not convinced
“If it was an abandoned explosive, it shouldn’t have been wrapped in a polythene bag,” he adds.
Mr Washaki Ahamada, the Kumi Resident Commissioner, called for restraint from the husband’s family.
“As members of security, we are investigating how an ammunition that is meant to be in custody of the security ended up in the open, and subsequently claiming lives of the little children,” he said.
Police say investigations are underway.
Mr John Michael Okwii, the parish chairperson, says such an incident had never happened despite the fact that the area has many retired army officers.
