Police in Namayingo District have retrieved the decomposing body of a 35-year-old man that was discovered in an open pit latrine in Buswale Sub-county after residents were alerted by a foul smell. The deceased has been identified as Disan Mangeni Okuku, a resident of Nasisa Village. His body was found on Tuesday evening inside an unfinished 25-foot pit latrine in Bungecha Village, where it is believed to have remained for about three weeks.
The discovery was made after Judith Lyaka, the owner of the pit latrine, noticed a strong foul smell at around 3:00 p.m. while trying to establish its source. On inspecting the pit, she discovered the decomposing body and immediately alerted the village chairperson, who informed police.Lyaka, a widow, said she had started digging the new pit because her old latrine had filled up and expressed shock at finding a body inside.
Residents who gathered at the scene said they were stunned by the discovery. Isaac Erokot, a resident of Bungecha Village, said they later established that the deceased was from neighboring Nasisa Village and that his family had been searching for him for the past three weeks.
Ojambo Miyaka, the deceased’s brother, said the family had reported him missing and even made announcements on local radio stations in an effort to trace him, but without success. He said Okuku had been living with epilepsy, making Tuesday’s discovery particularly devastating for the family.
Desderio Masiga Muwanja, the LC I Chairperson of Bungecha Village, said they initially could not identify the body until relatives from Nasisa Village arrived and confirmed the deceased’s identity. Muwanja urged residents to improve safety around pit latrines by covering unfinished pits with timber, logs or iron sheets and ensuring completed pits have concrete slabs to prevent accidents and other incidents.
A police officer attached to Bumoli Police Post, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said officers responded immediately after receiving a report from the village chairperson.
Police have opened an inquiry into the death and appealed to members of the public with information that could help establish the circumstances under which the deceased ended up in the pit latrine to come forward. The body was taken to the mortuary at Buyinja Health Centre IV for a postmortem examination as investigations continue-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
