KAMPALA, Uganda — Two children have died and three others are receiving treatment after five siblings were found with severe stab wounds at a family home in Kalungu Zone, Bunga, in Kampala’s Makindye Division.
Uganda Police said the incident happened at about 4am on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at a residence in Kalungu, Bunga, Ggaba Parish.
Police are investigating the case as murder, attempted murder and arson, while detectives work to establish what happened inside the home and the motive behind the attack.
The children were discovered after a housemaid was awakened by an alarm and cries for help coming from the main house.
According to police, the maid entered the house and found several of the children with severe stab wounds before raising the alarm and seeking help.
Police identified the deceased as Khadija Daizy, 14, and Hawa Dalena, 7.
Khadija was found dead in her bedroom, while Hawa was taken to Nsambya Hospital but later died from her injuries.
Their three surviving siblings, aged 13, eight and five, were rushed to hospital for treatment and remain under medical care.
The bodies of the two children were taken to Mulago City Mortuary for postmortem examinations as investigators begin piecing together the events that preceded the attack.
Police have identified 43-year-old Dorothy Namayo, a Kenyan national and the children’s mother, as the suspect in the case.
Namayo was also found injured and is receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she remains under police guard.
Police have not yet established publicly what caused the injuries sustained by Namayo or provided a definitive account of how the incident unfolded.
The Daily Monitor reported that investigators suspect the incident may have followed a domestic dispute, but police said the motive remains under investigation.
The incident also involved a Toyota Hiace van parked at the residence, which was set on fire and completely destroyed.
Uganda Police Fire Prevention and Rescue Services responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Investigators recovered a jerrycan suspected to have contained petrol, which has been secured as an exhibit.
The combination of the stabbing and fire has led investigators to register the matter as a case of murder, attempted murder and arson.
A team comprising homicide detectives, Scene of Crime Officers, forensic personnel and fire and rescue officers examined the residence and documented the scene.
Police said exhibits were recovered for forensic examination and statements have been recorded from the person who reported the incident and other relevant witnesses.
Investigators are expected to establish the sequence of events, determine what happened before the children were injured and establish whether anyone else was involved.
The surviving children are being treated as the investigation continues.
The latest incident has shocked residents of an area that was already shaken by another deadly attack involving children earlier this year.
On April 2, 2026, four toddlers were killed at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Programme after a man identified as Christopher Okello Onyum allegedly entered the facility and attacked the children with a knife.
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Okello was later convicted of the four murders and sentenced to death by the High Court. He has since appealed against both his conviction and sentence, with the appeal still pending.
That earlier case prompted intense debate over child safety, security at schools and the psychological impact of violence on children and communities.
The new attack, although unrelated on the available evidence, has renewed concerns about the safety of children in the Kampala suburb.
For now, police have not released a definitive motive for the attack.
The focus remains on forensic examination of the scene, witness statements, postmortem findings and the medical condition of the surviving children and the suspect.
Kampala Metropolitan Police said investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The case remains under investigation, and allegations against the suspect have not been tested in court.
