Lwengo man locks 10-year-old son in tarpaulin after brutal machete attack

Police in Lwengo District have arrested a 40-year-old man for allegedly hacking his 10-year-old son with a machete and concealing him in a tarpaulin, reportedly with the intention of burning him alive.

The suspect, Gonzaga Luwaga, a resident of Kyalutwaka Village in Lwengo Rural Sub-county, allegedly committed the offense after his son refused to reveal the whereabouts of his mother. Luwaga had accused his wife of stealing his coffee beans while he was away on a drinking spree.

The child sustained deep cuts to his head, face, and hands. He was also severely beaten with sticks.

The area local council chairperson, Mr. Fred Kyalikunda, said he rushed to the scene after being alerted by concerned neighbors.

"I intervened and found the boy badly injured and in severe pain. We immediately apprehended the suspect and handed him over to the police," Mr. Kyalikunda said, condemning the rising brutality against minors.

The victim later told neighbors that his father had subjected both him and his mother to routine domestic abuse.

The boy's mother, Ms Fatumah Kwiiza, expressed fear for her life, detailing years of marital hardship. She indicated plans to flee back to her parents’ home for safety.

The southern region police spokesperson, Mr. Twaha Kasirye, confirmed the arrest, stating that Luwaga will be charged with attempted murder and aggravated child abuse once investigations are complete.

Alcoholism and systemic failures

Frustrated residents labeled the attack as "attempted murder" and blamed local leaders for failing to curb rising lawlessness and unregulated alcohol consumption in the village.

In response, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr. Bonny Rwatangabo, alongside former Lwengo District Chairperson, Mr. George Mutabaazi, vowed to launch a crackdown on bars operating during morning working hours. They cited chronic alcohol abuse as a primary trigger for the district's soaring domestic violence cases.

The broader crisis of child abuse

This grim incident highlights a nationwide spike in violence against children, which authorities and civil society organizations warn has reached crisis levels.

According to the Annual Crime Report by the Uganda Police Force, thousands of child abuse cases—ranging from aggravated defilement and torture to infanticide—are reported every year, with a significant number going unreported in rural areas due to family collusion.

Child rights advocates have repeatedly challenged the government to enforce the Children Act (Amended 2016) more strictly, noting that unless systemic issues like substance abuse, poverty, and domestic violence are addressed at the household level, Ugandan children will remain highly vulnerable to extreme violence.

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