Police Puts 7 Behind Bars for Burning Woman With Jerrycans
Fredrick Siminyu
In response to reports and a hideous torture video that has been circulating on social media in the past few days, police has arrested seven suspects in Mityana and locked them up for questioning.
According to Rachael Kawala, the PRO for Wamala Region, the arrested, persons who are residents of Namuzikiza village, Watuba parish, Kikandwa sub-county in Mityana district are suspected to be the ones who appeared in the video that has been circulating on social media burning a young woman with jericans.
Kawala says, police has preferred a case of aggravated torture under CRB 155/2024 against the seven suspects.
The PRO goes ahead to explain that according to the report which was received by police, the seven suspects plus others still at large are said to have on April 28th at about 0800hrs bound Muhirwe Kolodina, a 29-year-old bar attendant and resident of the same area with ropes and burned her with jericans accusing her of having stolen a pig.
The statement which Muhirwe filed with the police states she was formerly married to James Lukiiko a resident of the same village for six years but they were unable to have any children together.
Due to some domestic misunderstandings the couple separated in January this year but, Muhirwe left behind her food crop gardens and a banana plantation under agreement with the husband that she is free come and collect food.
On April 28th at about 0800hrs, the she had gone to pick food from the same garden which she left behind, located in the kibanja of her ex-husband, James Lukiiko, when Lukiiko called his son, Lwabye Brian, who then summoned Kalanzi James, the area LC.1 defense officer.
Kalanzi James arrived along with Namusoke Betty, who brought a rope, and allegedly tied the victim’s hands and legs, accusing her of having stolen a pig.
The incident happened in the home of the area Chairperson, Kiwanuka Steven.
More residents gathered and they too lit a jerricans, and joined the burning as they demanded to know the whereabouts of stolen the pig.
After the torture, the victim was dumped in a bush but later rescued by a boda boda cyclist picked and took her to the police station where she reported the incident.
A statement from the victim was recorded at police, and she was taken to Namayumba Health Center IV where medics are working around the clock to save her life.
“We remain committed to pursuing every incident of torture and ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said Rachael Kawala.
