Nakaseke woman burns niece over missing cash

A 16-year-old girl is fighting for her life at Kiruddu Hospital in Kampala after suffering multiple burns in a house fire allegedly set by her aunt over missing Shs400,000.

The incident took place at Kyondo Village, Kapeeka Sub-county in Nakaseke District on Saturday.

While witnesses and those who rescued Bridget Akello from the burning house provide conflicting accounts about the reasons Ms Celina Nalukwago attempted to end her niece’s life, the police’s preliminary findings link the fire to the missing money.

The Savannah Regional Police spokesperson, Mr Sam Twineamazima, stated yesterday that Ms Nalukwago, now in police custody, has been charged with attempted murder.

According to the police, the girl was rescued by neighbours who noticed smoke billowing from the house. They forced the door open and saved the victim, who had already sustained severe burns.

However, some residents claim that Akello may be a victim of domestic violence, suggesting that her aunt suspected her husband of having an affair with the teenager due to unspecified favours he had granted her.

Motive
Mr Moses Ssenfuma, the chairperson for Kapeeka Sub-county, told Monitor that while Ms Nalukwago is the prime suspect, multiple narratives have emerged regarding her motive.

“The victim’s mother is reportedly working in Saudi Arabia and left her daughter in the care of her sister, Celina Nalukwago. Some say Nalukwago, who usually provides money for food, left without doing so. Upon returning, she found that her husband had allegedly given money to the girl to buy food,” he said.

Ms Safina Nantege, another resident, said when Nalukwago returned home from work on March 15, she questioned her niece about the source of the money used to buy food since she had not left any.

“Nalukwago first bought paraffin from one of the fuelling stations in Kapeeka Town before pouring it on the girl’s dress. She then pushed her into one of the rooms and set the fire. The young girl pleaded for mercy, but Nalukwago did not open the door. It was the neighbours who rushed to break it open,” she said.

It is alleged that despite pleas from residents for Nalukwago to take the girl to hospital, she refused, insisting that the teenager was a thief. The police reportedly intervened to rescue Nalukwago from an angry mob that attempted to assault and possibly lynch her, according to Mr Enock Ssekibaala, a resident of Kyondo Village, Kapeeka Sub-county.

Defilement and child neglect
Mr Michael Ssesanga, a programme coordinator at the Community Development and Child Welfare Initiatives (CODI), a non-governmental organisation operating in the Greater Luweero Districts, said cases of defilement, child neglect, and physical abuse remain prevalent.

“Children often suffer in silence due to their vulnerability, which is frequently worsened by their parents and guardians,” he told the Monitor yesterday.