By Tolit Ivan
A family of three people were on Friday night burnt to death in a suspected arson attack in Bajere village, Akwang Sub County, in Kitgum district.
The deceased have been identified as Michael Odida 41, his wife Evelyne Oyella 40 and their unidentified eight year old son.
The incident happened at around 1:40 am while the trio were sleeping in their grass thatched hut.
According to John Orach, the area Local Council II Chairperson, the assailant first locked the door of the grass thatched hut from outside before setting it ablaze.
He said the incident has left the entire parish in shock calling upon the communities to support them with reports linking them to the suspect.
Peter Oyesigye, the Kitgum District Police Commander, confirmed the unfortunate incident saying a team from the homicide department have been dispatched to the scene of crime to retrieve the bodies for postmortem and also investigate the incident.
The 2024 police annual crime report indicates that a total of 1,064 arson cases were recorded across the country and 30 deaths, which was a 10% decrease from 2023, which had seen 38 deaths in 1,792 arson incidents.
The report indicated that arson ranked as the 14th most commonly committed offence in Uganda in 2024.
