HOIMA – A woman has been burnt to death after fire gutted her grass-thatched house in Kibengeya village, Kapapi sub-county in Hoima district.
The 21-year-old woman, identified as Charity Alinaitwe, was staying alone in her grass-thatched house, according the neighbour, Charles Bamuturaki, who added the hut went up in flames at around 3:00am on Tuesday.
Bamuturaki narrated that huge fumes were seen emanating from the side of the hut and on rushing to find out what was happening – it was discovered the deceased’s house was on fire but it was too late to save her life.
Juliet Atimango – another resident said it was unfortunate that Alinaitwe had died in such a manner – the reason she called on authorities to carry out thorough investigations to determine the real cause of the incident. Atimango believes some unknown people had torched Alinaitwe’s house.
Fred Mbabazi – the LC III Chairperson of Kapapi sub-county said the incident had left residents in shock. He too, appealed to the police to comprehensively investigate the matter to establish whether there wasn’t any foul play.
“She was staying alone in her house after separating from her husband. We were shocked when we received information that her house had been torched and that she had also been killed in the fire,” said Mbabazi.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region police spokesperson confirmed the incident – revealing that investigations had commenced.
According to Hakiza, police was swift in its response but couldn’t save the deceased as she already succumbed to injuries –as the body was transferred to Hoima City mortuary for post-mortem but later handed over to her relatives for burial.
Hakiza appealed to residents and leaders in the area to cooperate with the police through providing crucial information relating to the incident, which comes barely two weeks after an elderly woman was burnt to death in a similar fire in Kagadi.
The 90-year-old Beatrice Nyiranganzi, who was sleeping in her grass-thatched hut in Mpeefu B village, Siyoni parish, Mpeefu sub-county died on Christmas Night when fire broke out at around 10:00pm burning her to death.
Additional reporting by URN
