By KT Reporter
A small community in Nkarakara Cell, Kahunge Town Council, Kamwenge District, is reeling after a horrific tragedy left a five-year-old girl dead and her alleged killer beaten to death by angry neighbours.
Peter Bagonza, 39, a man reportedly struggling with mental illness for nearly two decades, is accused of abducting and killing his wife’s young niece, Mary Cynthia, before burying her in his compound. The incident has left families and neighbours shaken with grief, fear, and anger.
According to Vincent Twesige, the Rwenzori West Police Spokesperson, the chain of events began late Monday night. Bagonza returned home around 10 p.m., only to find his wife absent. Distressed, he reportedly went to his mother-in-law’s house searching for her.
Family members, startled by his approach, fled, leaving little Cynthia behind. It is alleged that Bagonza then took the child to his home, fatally harmed her, and buried her in a grave he had dug the same night.
The following morning, neighbours noticed something horrifying: a small hand protruding from freshly turned soil. Alarmed, they immediately informed John Ndagyijimana, the Nkarakara LC1 Chairperson. By the time police were contacted and en route, grief and outrage had boiled over. The community mobilised, confronting Bagonza and killing him before law enforcement could intervene.
Police later secured a court order to exhume the child’s body, conducted examinations, and handed both victims to their families for burial. Investigations are ongoing, and authorities urge the public to allow the legal system to handle such cases.
Robert Namara, the District Councillor for Kahunge Town Council, condemned the lynching and urged residents to report criminal acts instead of taking the law into their own hands. He also highlighted the importance of proper care and treatment for mentally ill individuals, stressing that early intervention can prevent tragedies like this.
Mob justice, while sometimes fuelled by anger and the desire for immediate accountability, is illegal under Ugandan law. The Penal Code Act criminalises taking the law into one’s own hands, and those who engage in lynching or vigilante killings can face severe legal consequences, including imprisonment.
Authorities stress that such actions undermine the rule of law and can escalate violence rather than resolve conflicts. However, the Kamwenge incident is also a stark reminder of the complex challenges communities face when mental illness, violence, and fear collide. Namara appealed for calm, urging families and neighbours to seek dialogue, support, and peace in the aftermath.
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