By KT Reporter
Police in Kitgum District are investigating the suspected arson attack that claimed the lives of three family members on Thursday night.
The deceased have been identified as Michael Odida, his wife Alice Oyella, and their eight-month-old baby. The trio is believed to have been deliberately set on fire by unknown assailants inside their grass-thatched hut in Bajere South Village, Labongo Akwang Sub-county.
John Orach, the LC II Chairperson of Lamit Parish, said he received a late-night phone call from a neighbour urging him to contact the police for firefighting assistance.
According to Orach, the victims’ home is situated some distance from neighbouring households, and by the time residents responded to distress calls from the couple’s other children, who were sleeping in a separate hut, the burning structure had already collapsed.
Orach suspects the victims may have been killed before the house was set ablaze, noting that their bodies were found close together, suggesting they did not attempt to escape the fire.
He added that the couple had attended a funeral earlier in the day and returned home at around 9:00 p.m., but what transpired after their return remains unclear.
Meanwhile, Kitgum Assistant Resident District Commissioner Joseph Okidi told Uganda Radio Network that police have transported body samples to Kitgum General Hospital for postmortem examination, with results still pending.
Okidi said a joint team of police and other security personnel is currently at the scene gathering evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. He appealed to the community to remain calm and avoid speculation that could incite violence.
Under Uganda’s Penal Code Act, arson is defined as the wilful and unlawful act of setting fire to a building or property. The offence is classified as a felony and carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
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