A probe is underway into the incident
Shock and grief gripped residents of Nkarakara Cell, Rubaba Ward in Kamwenge District after a 39-year-old man allegedly killed his five-year-old daughter, buried her in his compound, and was later lynched by an angry mob.
Police identified the suspect as Peter Bagonza, a resident of Kahunge Town Council, who reportedly suffered from mental illness for more than 20 years.
According to Rwenzori West Regional Police Spokesperson SP Vincent Twesige, the incident occurred on Monday at around 10 pm when Bagonza returned home and found his wife missing. “It’s alleged that when Bagonza, who was reportedly mentally unstable, returned home and did not find his wife, he proceeded to his mother-in-law’s residence in the same cell to search for her,” Twesige said.
Upon seeing him, his wife and in-laws fled, leaving their daughter, Mary Cynthia, behind.
“He carried the child back to his home, where he allegedly killed her by cutting and later buried her in his compound,” Twesige added.
On Tuesday morning, neighbours passing near Bagonza’s home reportedly noticed a freshly dug grave with what appeared to be a child’s hand protruding from the soil. Alarmed, they alerted local leaders, who in turn called the police.
“The neighbors saw a new grave with a child’s hand visible and immediately notified local authorities, who then contacted the police. At that time, the suspect was not at home. The locals mobilized themselves, tracked him down, and lynched him at around 11:30 a.m.,” SP Twesige said.
Police teams from Kahunge and Kamwenge Police Stations later visited the scene and obtained a court order to exhume the child’s body.
“The body of Mary was exhumed and examined by a doctor at the scene, along with that of Bagonza, who was killed by the angry mob. Both bodies were later handed over to their relatives for decent burial,” Twesige noted.
The police spokesperson described the incident as tragic, urging the public to seek medical help for people suffering from mental illness rather than resorting to violence.
“We continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding this horrific event,” he said.
Police said investigations are ongoing.