Police in Mityana District are investigating the death of a 23-year-old woman who allegedly locked herself inside her house and set it on fire following a marital dispute.
Irene Nakagulire, a resident of Kasiba Village in Kiwawu Parish, Malangala Sub-county, reportedly died on Thursday morning after a disagreement with her husband, Henry Ziriggwa. She allegedly accused her husband of planning to reunite with his former wife, triggering a quarrel that prompted Ziriggwa to leave the home.
Wamala Regional Police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi says that after her husband left, Nakagulire hired a boda boda rider to take her four-year-old daughter to her maternal home in Muduuma, Mpigi District. Kigozi says Nakagulire then locked herself inside the house and allegedly set it on fire.
Neighbours reportedly rushed to the scene and attempted to rescue her, but their efforts were unsuccessful because the door had been locked from inside. Residents later alerted their chairman, Baker Ssekasi, who reported the incident to Kiwawu Police Station.
Police at Kiwawu sought reinforcement from Mityana Central Police Station. A team was dispatched to the scene but found Nakagulire severely burnt, with her body reportedly beyond recognition. Her remains were retrieved and taken to Mityana Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.
The incident came amid reported tensions in the couple’s six-month marriage. Margaret Nanyonjo, Nakagulire’s mother-in-law, told police that she initially received a telephone call from her son, who expressed concerns about some of Nakagulire’s habits, including smoking and alcohol consumption.
Shortly after speaking to her son, Nanyonjo said Nakagulire also called her, claiming that Ziriggwa was chasing her away and planning to bring back his former wife. According to Nanyonjo’s statement to police, Nakagulire said she would not accept the return of the former wife unless Ziriggwa found her another home.
Nanyonjo said she was shocked by Nakagulire’s death, adding that she never expected the disagreement to end in such a tragic loss of life.
Police have urged couples experiencing domestic disagreements to seek peaceful ways of resolving their differences instead of resorting to actions that could result in injury or death. The police also advised couples and families facing domestic conflicts to seek help from the Child and Family Protection Unit, local leaders or other appropriate support structures before disputes escalate.
According to the Police Crime Report, 12,361 victims of domestic violence reported cases to police in 2025, while 208 deaths linked to domestic violence were recorded. The report identifies disputes over family property, failure to provide for the family, drug and alcohol abuse, and infidelity among the leading causes of domestic violence-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
