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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Inspector-General of Police, Martin Ochola, has dispatched a team to Kigezi region to investigate the causes of the rising domestic violence. Ochola’s team is led by the head of community policing Assistant Commissioner of Police Anatoli Muleterwa.
Several cases of domestic violence have been reported in the districts of Kisoro, Kabale, Kanungu and Rukungiri. Last week in Kisoro, a man hacked four of his family members to death. Gerald Ndikumukiza admitted killing his wife Maliserina Mujawimana 26, his mother Bonconsira Nyiraguhirwa 75, father Deogratius Sebitama 80, and sister-in-law Joan Nyiramana 20.
He confessed to police that he hacked his relatives to death because they allocated him a sloping site to construct his house, a terrain he found unsuitable for construction. Days earlier, two people had been killed in Rubanda District. The killed individuals were identified as Mereth Naturinda 28, and Niwagaba Pakarasio 30.
Muleterwa says that his team will also sensitize residents in the region about the dangers of domestic violence. Police believe the killings could have been ignited by the Covid-19 lockdown where some people lost their jobs.
“As a result of Covid-19, some individuals within this community have become hopeless. Some have started committing heinous crimes. They see no hope. But we want to rally behind the support of the community because when somebody begins to contemplate killing his family there are signs that people and local leaders can look out for,” Muleterwa said.
Muleterwa added that they want also to remind people about protecting themselves from Covid-19 through respecting the Standard Operations Procedures –SOPs for public meetings and events. One of the people who are part of the team said that the police in Kigezi is also being blamed for not educating individuals on the role of neighbourhood watch.
“There was a report recently by another team that was earlier sent to study police presence in Kigezi region. It was realized that many people complained that police presence is not being felt in the community. People said police takes long to respond when issues come up,” the police source said.
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