The police in Nansana municipality, Wakiso district, have arrested a woman accused of killing her husband by setting him on fire.
The suspect, identified only as Nanziri, allegedly tied up her husband, 75-year-old James Wani, placed him in a sack, and burnt him using petrol and old tires in a garbage pit on Sunday night.
At the time of the incident, Wani was reportedly weak and unwell. In the days that followed, Nanziri reportedly told neighbours and friends that Wani had been admitted to the intensive care unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital due to a deteriorating health condition.
However, suspicions grew after residents had not seen Wani for five days. According to family friend and neighbour Muhammad Ssemakula, tensions in the household had been high due to frequent domestic disputes.
It was Wani’s 10-year-old daughter who ultimately raised the alarm, reportedly telling Ssemakula that her mother had killed her father and burned his body.
“His 10-year-old daughter came to me and told me that the father was burned by the mother in a garbage pit at night. Her mother tied him up and put him into a sack,” Ssemakula recounted.
Kijambo Ali Mubiru, defence secretary of Zone 80 in Nabweru, said Wani had previously reported domestic violence issues to local authorities and had planned to separate from Nanziri and return to his ancestral home in Mbale district.
Locals expressed shock and concern over the growing number of domestic conflicts that end in fatality. Nanziri is currently being held at Katoke police station as investigations continue.
