Wife pins Makerere don on acid attack

By Michael Odeng & John Tatyamisa

KAMPALA - Dr. Faisal Buyinza, a lecturer at Makerere University, has been pinned for allegedly masterminding an acid attack on his wife following a domestic dispute.

Hanifa Nakiryowa said Buyinza hired a person to pour acid on her.

At the time of the attack, Nakiryowa was the monitoring and evaluation officer at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council — UNICEF partnership programme in charge of keeping mothers and children alive, safe and in school.

Nakiryowa told Buganda Road Court on Wednesday that before the incident, she had filed a case at Old Kampala Police Station, accusing her husband of threatening her life and she had been separated from him for two months.

She said her husband (Buyinza) then lured her into his house, by persistently demanding that she goes to pick her children.

“He called me on phone and asked me to return home and pick the children. When I reached the gate at about 8.00pm, I called him to meet me on the way, but he told me to walk up to the house.

"On reaching the house, I knocked at his door, but he was not opening. I continued knocking, until a person found me standing by the doorway and poured some liquids onto my face,” she narrated.

The court was presided over by Chief Magistrate Olive Kahiza Muhiirwa

Buyinza, 40, is a lecturer of economics attached to the department of economic theory and analysis at Makerere University.

He is facing charges of attempted murder.

Prosecution alleges that Buyinza, on December 11, 2011 at Mugenyi Flats Makerere University, Kampala, attempted to cause the death of his wife, Nakiryowa.

Nakiryowa said they had a misunderstanding with Buyinza.

As a result, Nakiryowa said, she was forced to leave the home and had been staying with a relative.

Nakiryowa, together with her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter – Zurahiya Buyinza – were admitted to Mulago Hospital after sustaining several burns.

Buyinza, however, denied the accusations.

He said although they had a misunderstanding, he wanted his wife (Nakiryowa) to return home and had no knowledge of the possible acid attack.

Nakiryowa, who had been in the marriage for seven years, has lost her eyes and nose due to the acid attack on her. The case was adjourned to July 12.