Residents of Kiryatete Cell in Hoima City were left in shock after Kenneth Wabyona allegedly set his house on fire, trapping his wife, Lillian Akonyera, and their two children inside.
The tragic incident occurred at around 10pm on Monday.
When the house began to burn, neighbours rushed to their aid. However, 5-year-old Junius succumbed to his injuries while being transported to Mulago Hospital.
Akonyera, his mother, was admitted to the hospital in critical condition, while Wabyona was also taken to Hoima Regional Hospital for treatment.
Wabyona and Akonyera had been living in Kiryatete for five years with their two children—an eight-year-old girl and five-year-old Junius.
Wycliffe Aganyira, a neighbour, said the couple had separated two weeks earlier after a long history of domestic violence.
The separation followed an incident in which Wabyona attacked Akonyera at her salon in Kiryatete, destroying her property. Akonyera, a sole breadwinner for the family, had even bought a motorcycle for Wabyona to use for survival.
“After the separation, Wabyona returned masked up last evening. When Akonyera opened the door, he forced his way inside, locked the door, and set the house on fire, trapping all four members inside,” Aganyira explained.
“The eight-year-old girl managed to open the door and scream for help. Neighbours arrived quickly, pouring water on the fire, but the family had already suffered severe burns.
Wabyona collapsed, and Akonyera and Junius were rushed to the hospital.”
According to Aganyira, Police arrived at the scene and took Wabyona to Hoima Regional Hospital for treatment.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed that Akonyera and Junius were referred to Mulago Hospital.
But Junius died on the way, while Akonyera remains in critical condition.
“We responded immediately, took Wabyona to Hoima Regional Hospital, and once he is stable, he will face charges of attempted murder and attempted suicide,” Hakiza said.
“We also encourage families to report domestic issues to the police; we have departments that specialize in counseling married couples.”
Abdu Razak Nkaramaikya, Wabyona’s landlord, recalled multiple previous incidents of violence between the couple. He had informed the police, but the matter was not taken seriously.
“Wabyona had once attempted to kill Akonyera with a knife and destroyed her salon property. We informed the police, but nothing was done. It’s truly heartbreaking. Why not just separate if you have such disagreements?” Nkaramaikya said.
Aganyira also revealed that a key source of tension between the couple was Wabyona’s involvement in witchcraft. He allegedly tried to persuade Akonyera to join him, but she remained devoted to her faith and spent days praying at Bujumbura Cathedral.
“The witchcraft issue was central to their problems,” Aganyira said. “Akonyera was very prayerful, while Wabyona was deeply involved in witchcraft. This caused a major rift between them.”
Wabyona had another wife in Bugambe village, Kikuube district, and Akonyera was his second wife. Despite having two children together, the neighbors said Wabyona rarely provided for the family, leaving Akonyera as the sole breadwinner.
As the family prepares for burial, Wabyona’s condition worsened, and he has been referred to Kiruddu Hospital for further treatment.