Five held over death of six-year-old boy

KAMPALA - Police have arrested five people, including a witchdoctor, in connection with the death of a six-year-old boy.

Kevin Ssemakula's body was found Saturday evening with two deep cuts on the neck and arms, police said.

He was residing in Lyanda B village in Matuuga, Kawempe division.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango said the boy's parents, Florence Naku and Ronald Kayemba, had earlier reported a case of disappearance of their son at Matuuga Police Station.

"Eight-hours later, his body was recovered at a stone quarry in Lyanda village," said Onyango.

"At the scene of crime, police recovered local herbs allegedly used after bathing and a white T-shirt allegedly belonging to a witchdoctor identified as Joseph Ssemakula."

Onyango said the witchdoctor was arrested with four other suspects from his shrine in Lyanda.

The suspects were briefly held at Matuuga Police Station before they were transferred to Kasangati Police station moments later, where they are probed over murder.

According to Onyango, the suspects were moved from Matuuga after an irate mob stormed the station to lynch them. "Police dispersed the angry crowds by firing tear-gas and pepper spray," he said.

It is understood a post mortem was carried out on Ssemakula's body at the City Mortuary.

‘Abandoning children is a crime'

The 2014 Police Crime Report indicates that a total of 7,256 child-related cases were investigated by Police that year, reflecting a 11.2% increase when compared with 6,522 in 2013.

The same report also shows that the number of victims of child-related offences and child neglect registered was 11,791, desertion (3,335), stealing (216), trafficking (220), abduction (771), kidnap (1,146), abuse/torture (1,205), Infanticide (55) and abortion (2,578).

Subsequently, the bi-annual crime report between January and June 2015 indicates that 7,408 cases of child-related offences were reported compared to 7,281 cases in 2014 over the same period - giving an increase of 1.7%.

Barbara Mutagobya, the director of Sanyu Babies Home told New Vision that her institution receives an average of 65 infants annually.

Between 35 and 40 of the infants are reunited with their families after a search by the organization together with Police, she added.

"Abandoning children is a crime. Under no circumstances are families supposed to abandon their children."

Mutagobya revealed that most of the children who eventually end up at Sanyu Babies' Home are dumped at garbage sites, in markets, latrines, places of worship, hospitals and on buses.