Blind, deaf, dumb, but often raped

SATURDAY VISION

By Moses Nampala

MBALE district - She can neither see, talk nor hear and suffers from mental illness. More so, Yudaya Kakasiye’s problems have been compounded by lumpens who waylay and rape her — not once, not twice, but many times!

Kakasiye, 37, lives in Bumasanda, Bumasacha sub-county, Mbale district. Her parents, Masitula Namakoye, 57, and Hussein Ntalo, live in abject poverty. However, that is not their biggest problem. They are totally exhausted by their daughter’s plight and are utterly clueless about what to do to protect her.

Two years ago, when they realised that Kakasiye was pregnant, it seemed like a bad joke, but it wasn’t. Today, they do not know the father of her 18-month-old girl. Nobody does.

Occasionally, Kakasiye’s weary parents receive rumours of another rape carried out on their daughter. Since their daughter is blind, dumb and deaf, she cannot explain to them what is going on.

Although she is under their custody, they cannot keep her locked up in one place.

When Saturday Vision visited their home, they had to search for her. They found her wandering about in a nearby bush.

Her lean figure was draped in a dirty oversize dress. She seemed confused and restless.

Kakasiye doesn’t recall giving birth. When she was forced to breastfeed, she almost strangled the baby.

A mother’s pain

Namakoye says one morning as Kakasiye was walking about in the courtyard, she went and embraced her.

“That is when I realised that her belly, which had been concealed under an oversize dress, was unusually hard and it protruded. I discovered that she was four months pregnant! However, God helped us and she went on to have a normal delivery,” she narrates.

Namakoye says she has endured her cross as a mother and believer. She even took breast milk-inducing herbs so as to breastfeed her daughter’s baby.

As a young bride 37 years ago, Namakoye was happy to conceive almost immediately after getting married to Ntalo, who was a dashing young man.

She got her first shock in the labour ward shortly after delivery when the midwife announced to her that her baby girl was blind.

“I remember weeping, not knowing that the worst was yet to come,” she says.

“We did not detect other deformities until she was three years old. She could not talk, let alone hear!”

By the time Kakasiye was five years old, her tantrums had become unbearable. It was later established that her mental faculty was also not developing normally.

It has since been a journey of distress and trauma. Her great consolation is that her four other children are healthy, although not so successful in life.

Father speaks

Ntalo says the thought of abusers lurking in his unfortunate daughter’s footsteps has cost him sleep.

“Somebody out there should volunteer to pay for my daughter’s permanent birth control method before another abuser gives us another fatherless grandchild,” says Ntalo.

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Kuutusa with Kakasiye, her parents and her child at the home. Kakasiye’s father wants her to be given contraceptives. PHOTO/Moses Nampala

Authorities aware

The regional officer in charge of the family and child protection unit, Marion Kuutusa, is aware of Kakasiye’s problem. It first came to her attention when Issa Wamai, the son of Ntalo’s neighbour, was caught raping Kakasiye.

Wamai was, early this year, sentenced to 15 years in Maluku government prison.

“Unfortunately, he has since escaped from custody and his whereabouts are unknown,” says Kuutusa.

What happened?

Kakasiye was seven months pregnant when the rape happened. Namakoye was returning home from the garden when children from the neighbourhood rushed to inform her that Wamai had led her daughter into a maize garden, a few metres away.

She was shocked to find Wamai raping her daughter. He took off as Namakoye closed in, but residents chased and caught him. They handed him over to Mbale Police authorities.

Police speak out

Kuutusa said she was touched by Kakasiye’s plight.

“I am glad that we (the Police) pursued this matter vigourously and all the necessary evidence was collected, meriting a conviction of rape charges against Wamai,” adds Kutuusa.

“How can people live like animals waiting to take advantage of the unfortunate? It must be due to the rising consumption of drugs like bhang and mairungi (kut),” she added.

Over 571 cases of defilement have been registered in the northeastern region, which comprises Mbale, Manafa, Sironko, Bududa, kapchorwa, Kwen, and Bukwo districts.

“About 60% of the total number of cases registered are a result of drug abuse,” says Kutuusa.

She appealed to the public to volunteer information to enable the courts of law ensure justice to the victims and their families.

Who is the baby's father

The village is awash with rumours which can’t be verified. One Esther Nakayenze, a resident, insists that the baby was fathered by Wamai.

“On more than three occasions before she conceived, Wamai would guide her home, saying he had found her straying into the bush. Nobody suspected that he could have been indulging in sinister acts!” Nakayenze said.

When Kakasiye’s parents went to Wamai’s father to discuss the issue and see how he could help them, it was disaster.

“He chased us with a panga and warned us never to step foot in his court yard again,” Ntalo said.

Wamai’s father tells residents that while it could be true that his son molested the victim, he is not the father of the child.

Another resident, Yusuf Nangoli, advises against drawing conclusions about Wamai.

“The village is full of young men who abuse drugs and rape her on separate incidents,” he disclosed.