Woman arrested for 'poisoning neighbour's children

BUTAMBALA - A woman has been detained at Kibibi Police station on allegations of administering poison in tea which her neighbor's children took and later hospitalized in critical condition.

Butambala district police commander Musa Kayongo identified the suspect as Rashidah Nakayima, 52, a resident of  Kalamba in Butambala.

The incident happened Tuesday evening.  

Nakayima was arrested after one of the children allegedly reported to  her parents that they had met Nakayima on their way from fetching water and she reportedly gave them a substance which she told them to put in their tea. 

The stuff looked like tea leaves, according to one of the children.

When the children reached home, they followed suit. But immediately after taking their tea, they started to vomit and have diarrhea.

When their parents saw what had happened, they took them to Gombe Hospital where one of them reported Nakayima.

Police arrested Nakayima after angry residents stormed her home  threatening to harm her, accusing her of trying to kill her neighbor's children by poising them.

DPC Musa Kayongo identified the children in critical conditions as  Faridah Nakku, 7, Gertrude Nalumansi, 3, and nine-month old Topher Lwanga. 

Kayongo said they are going to first take samples of the tea which the  children took to the government laboratory in Wandegeya , Kampala to confirm whether the tea which the children took was poisoned.