Police in the Kampala Metropolitan Area have arrested a housewife over the death of her husband.

Sharon Nakyanzi, a resident of Bule in Mubanda parish in Mukono, allegedly murdered Joseph Mubiru by hitting him.

The incident is said to have taken place on July 16, 2023, police said on Monday.

“What is painful is that the couple has been living separate lives, but when Nakyanzi heard that her husband was having company with other women in a bar, she came with all the anger, picked a bottle from the table, and hit him on the head. She also inflicted several cuts around the neck area and arm,” Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said, noting that the victim bled profusely and died from his wounds as a result.

“We managed to arrest her, and she is in our custody over the murder,” he said.

Statistics

According to the 2022 Annual Crimes Report, there was a slight increase in the number of cases of domestic violence registered in 2022 in Uganda.

There were 17,698 reported cases last year, compared to 17,533 in 2021, according to the report released in February by the Police.

Domestic violence is the most common type of gender-based violence in Uganda and takes many forms, including femicide, or the killing of a woman because of her gender.

According to statistics from the gender ministry, the Government is losing a total of sh18.3b in healthcare costs to deal with domestic violence and its effects.

Relatedly, Uganda's Police are spending sh19.5b, while LCs are spending sh12.7b on curbing the problem.

The total revenue lost by Uganda due to sexual and gender-based violence incidents between 2012 and 2017 alone translated to 0.25% of the national budget, or $20.77b (about sh74.7 trillion), according to the ministry.