Kampala: Two children have died and three others sustained injuries in a pre-dawn incident at a family home in Kalungu Bunga, also known as Kalungu Zone or Bunga-Kalungu, Ggaba Parish, Makindye Division, Kampala.
The incident happened at about 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 20, 2026, according to the Uganda Police Force.
Police said the matter is being investigated as murder, attempted murder and arson.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police South and Kabalagala Police Division, a housemaid was alerted after hearing an alarm and children crying for help. She went to the scene and found several children with serious injuries.
Khadija Daizy, 14, was found dead in her bedroom, while Hawa Dalena, 7, was taken to Nsambya Hospital but later died while receiving treatment.
Three other children, aged 13, 8 and 5, survived and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Police identified Namayo Dorothy, 43, also known as Dorothy Namayo, a Kenyan national and the children’s mother, as the suspect. She was also found injured and is currently receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital under police guard.
A Toyota Hiace vehicle at the property was set on fire and completely burnt.
Residents and local leaders said neighbours were alerted at around 5:00 a.m. after a car alarm went off. They reportedly discovered the vehicle on fire and later forced their way into the locked house after hearing children crying.
Initial local accounts contained differing information about the children’s ages and the sequence of events, including reports of a possible domestic dispute. However, police’s official account gives the ages and circumstances outlined above, and those details take precedence as investigations continue.
Police are working to establish what happened inside the home, the circumstances surrounding the children’s deaths and injuries, the cause of the fire, and the events leading to the incident.
The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected as police continue examining the scene and recording statements from witnesses and survivors.
The incident is not connected to the separate Ggaba daycare incident reported in April 2026.
