Police are investigating a Bunga children stabbing incident that left two children dead and three others injured after an early-morning attack at a home in Kalungu, Bunga, Kampala.
The incident happened at about 4:00 a.m. on Thursday in Ggaba Parish, Makindye Division.
The two children who died were identified as Khadija Daizy, 14, and Hawa Dalena, 7.
Khadija was found dead in her bedroom, while Hawa later died as she received treatment at Nsambya Hospital.
Three other children, aged 13, 8 and 5, sustained stab wounds and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Police have identified Dorothy Namayo, 43, a Kenyan national and mother of the children, as the suspect in the incident.
Namayo was also found injured and is receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital under police guard.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police, the attack came to light after a housemaid heard children crying for help from inside the main house.
The maid then opened the house and found several children with severe stab wounds.
ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, said the housemaid immediately responded after hearing the children’s cries.
“The maid immediately opened the house and discovered several children with severe stab wounds,” Owoyesigyire said. The incident also involved a vehicle fire at the premises.
Police said a Toyota Hiace parked at the home was set ablaze and completely destroyed. Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Investigators also recovered a jerrycan that they suspect may have contained petrol. The circumstances surrounding the vehicle fire remain part of the wider investigation.
Following the incident, homicide detectives, scene-of-crime officers and fire and rescue personnel examined the area. Investigators collected exhibits from the scene for forensic analysis.
Police also recorded statements from witnesses as they began working to establish what happened and what may have led to the attack.
The bodies of Khadija and Hawa were taken to Mulago City Mortuary for postmortem examinations.
The case has been registered at Kabalagala Police Division, with investigations continuing into murder, attempted murder and arson.
Police have not publicly confirmed the motive behind the attack.
The available information also does not establish what happened immediately before the incident or explain how Namayo sustained her injuries.
The identities and current medical condition of the three surviving children have also not been provided.
The investigation is expected to focus on establishing the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the injuries suffered by the three surviving children and the destruction of the Toyota Hiace.
Police are also working to establish the motive behind the incident. Forensic teams are expected to examine the exhibits recovered from the scene as part of the investigation.
The postmortem examinations of the two deceased children form part of the ongoing investigative process.
Namayo remains under police guard while receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital. Police have not stated whether she has been formally charged.
The incident has drawn attention to child safety in Kampala following the deaths of two children and the serious injuries suffered by three others.
The arson element has also expanded the investigation beyond the stabbing, with police pursuing allegations involving murder, attempted murder and arson.
For now, the Bunga children stabbing investigation remains ongoing, with police working to establish the motive and circumstances surrounding the attack and determine what led to the deaths and injuries.
