Rakai, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Residents of Nsimbo village, Kabalazi Parish, in Lwanda Sub-county, Rakai District, were left reeling after a local man, Matia Dulufu, brutally murdered his neighbour’s children before ending his own life.
On Tuesday 23, July 2024 morning, Dulufu, aged 33, attacked Nicolas Ssebbira, 6, and his older brother, Nickson Mugwanya, both students at God’s Care Nursery and Primary School in Rakai.
Witnesses reported that Dulufu used an axe to strike the children as they were heading to school. Ssebbira was killed instantly, while Mugwanya died later on the way to the hospital.
Following the tragic events, Dulufu took his own life.
“He woke up early in the morning and found his neighbour’s children on their way to school,” Remegio Katumba, resident recounted.
“He struck them on the head with an axe. He first knocked down the elder one Mugwanya who died on his way to hospital, and then attacked the young one Ssebbira, killing him on the spot. He struck Ssebbira three time on head until he died.”
After the brutal killings, Matia Dulufu fled to his home and took his own life by hanging.
Residents who arrived at the scene shortly after the murders found that Dulufu had already committed suicide by the time they reached his house.
“We suspect he had planned to kill himself because he acted quickly,” said Katumba. “Residents who knocked at his door found him already hanging [on a rope].”
Despite earlier signs of troubling behavior, villagers were stunned by the violence of the recent act. Matia Kafeero, the grandfather of the murdered children, expressed his shock, noting that he was away from home at the time. He found it hard to believe that Dulufu, whom he regarded as a friend, could commit such a horrific crime against his own grandchildren.
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Ssalongo Matia Kabazzi, chairperson of Nsimbo village, linked the tragedy to the pervasive issue of drug abuse in the area. He suggested that substance abuse impairs judgment and contributes to violent behavior, which he believes played a role in the tragic events.
“Dulufu has been smoking marijuana and taking alcohol,” he said.
Southern Region Police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye has confirmed that Matia Dulufu was HIV-positive.
He speculated that Dulufu may have been motivated by a belief that his neighbours were involved in an affair with his wife, who had left him after he revealed his HIV status.
Authorities are urging residents to stay alert and report any suspicious behavior to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
