Family admitted after eating poisoned food

Seven people from the same family are fighting for their lives after eating poisoned food in Bulyankuyege village, Nyenga division in Buikwe district.

Yahaya Waigonda a relative to the family revealed that Elvis Kasozi, 11, and another family member prepared matooke, groundnuts and sweet potatoes for dinner.

At 9PM their mother Fauzah Kagolo returned from work and asked for food which Kasozi serves to the family.

"At that time they were eight members and one decided to eat sweet potatoes but the rest who ate matooke are all in hospital" Waigonda said.

He added that after a while, Kagolo asked for water and fainted too which they thought were blood pressure complications.

"As daddy was trying to carry mummy even my sister and brothers started fainting, sweating plus vomiting and it prompted us to search for any medical facility around which can save their lives" Musa Kagolo one of the victims said.  

The seven, five juveniles and two adults, were rushed to St. Francis Nyenga Hospital and St. Anthony Medical Center in Nyenga division.

Pius Kimera, 11, a pupil of Nyenga Girls Primary School, Elvis Kasozi, 12, a pupil of Buwundo Primary School, Edrine Mwesigwa, 4, of Lwanga Nursery School, Jacklyn Nakaye, 12, of Nyenga Girls Primary School, Musa Kagolo, 29, a carpenter in Buziika town, Fauzah Kagolo, 48, the mother to the victims and Angel Kisakye, 2, all ate poisoned food and are admitted.

Kimera claimed that they were poisoned by their father House Basale Muwanika because he has been embroiled in disputes with the family.

He said that before eating, Muwanika sent his children to their home on the fateful day for the first time since he hadn't allowed them to set foot in Kagolo's courtyard.

"I witnessed mummy, Kasozi, Mwesigwa, Nakaye and Angel fainting after eating supper and I have just found myself in hospital and the doctor just told me that I was about to die" Kimera said.

Their mother Kagolo explained that Muwanika who is her brother-in-law is answerable for the poison because he has been fighting her from the day she married his brother Mohammed Kagolo.

Muwanika on his part denied any involvement in the poisoning.

"I cannot kill the seven people because they are all my family members, but the truth is that yesterday night I went to his home because himself Kagolo called me to give me some money to facilitate my family and I did not spend a lot of time at his home because at the time he gave me the money, I departed" Muwanika said.

Steven Mbaziira the clinical officer attending to the two victims in St. Francis Nyenga Hospital revealed that the patients will get better after receiving all the medication although Kasozi's situation is unpleasant.

Dr. Jude Isabirye of St. Anthony Medical Centre explained that the five patients will survive but they are mostly disturbed by stomach aches.

"We have not yet discovered the type of poison that was mixed with the food but it is a strong one and if they had not turned up for medication they wouldn't be alive" Isabirye said.

Muwanika, 39, Kulusum Nakazibwe, 19, a student at Allied SSS in Nyenga and Hanifah Kagoma, 22, are all detained at Nyenga Police Station.

The trio is charged with attempted murder by poisoning under case file CRB 99/2017 at Nyenga Police Station.

Isiko Balisanyuka the officer in charge of crime intelligence narrated that the three are to appear in court after completion of investigations.

He condemned the act and appealed to the public to settle disputes with others before things worsen. Police took the food samples and vomit for investigations.