Deadly cycle of revenge, arson leaves 350 homes torched in seven weeks

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A wave of revenge-fuelled violence has swept through the West Nile region, leaving a trail of destruction, with over 350 homes torched in just seven weeks.

The most recent incident—both brutal and disturbing—occurred in Madi-Okollo district, where a 22-year-old woman was murdered in cold blood, sparking a retaliatory arson attack that destroyed at least 15 homes.

According to Police, the series of violent reprisals in the region is not only triggered by targeted murders, but also by land disputes and domestic wrangles.

Woman’s breasts cut off; 15 homes torched

On the night of April 9, 2025, residents of Parabok Upper village in Madi-Okollo were jolted by the brutal murder of 22-year-old Charity Dokotho.

A peasant and mother of one, Dokotho was returning home from Pawor trading centre at around 9:00pm when she was attacked by an unidentified assailant along a secluded corridor between buildings.

According to West Nile regional police spokesperson Collins Asea, the attacker slit both of her breasts with a sharp object, causing her to bleed to death on the spot.

“This was a deliberate and cruel attack,” Asea confirmed. “The nature of the injuries indicates a high degree of malice and possibly personal motivation.”

Upon discovering the body, community members immediately suspected Dokotho’s estranged husband, whose name remains withheld by the police, of orchestrating the attack.

Though no concrete evidence was presented, anger surged through the village, prompting relatives and sympathisers of the deceased to storm the man’s home village and set fire to at least 15 huts, destroying entire households.

Police officers from Okollo Central Police Station, led by the officer-in-charge and supported by the Field Force Unit (FFU), responded to both the murder scene and the arson site.

The district scene of crime officer documented evidence, and the body was transported to Nebbi Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

“No arrests have been made yet, but investigations are active,” Asea noted, cautioning the public against mob justice and retaliatory violence. “We are treating both the murder and the subsequent arson as linked criminal incidents.”

The victims of the arson attack are yet to be fully identified, with several families displaced and forced to seek refuge with relatives in neighbouring villages. Community leaders have called for calm as police continue their inquiries.

20 homes burned in land dispute

A long-standing land dispute between Nyipir Primary School and residents of Alenga Upper village escalated into violence on 4 April, leaving 20 homes burned and several people displaced.

According to Asea, the conflict dates back over three years, centred on land originally donated to the school in the 1950s.

“The school won the court case three years ago, but some members of the community have refused to accept the ruling,” Asea said.

On April 3, Alenga residents allegedly attacked pupils who were burning grass on the school land. Later that night, the home of the school committee chairman, Bonny Oyungi, was set on fire. The following morning, a retaliatory attack by parents led to the burning of 19 more homes.

“We urge both parties to embrace dialogue as our investigations continue,” Asea added. No fatalities have been reported so far.

300 homes torched in a day

On February 15, what was meant to be a joyful traditional introduction ceremony turned into a night of chaos and death in Onguruku cell.

Police spokesperson, Rusoke Kituuma, said violence broke out around 1:00am during the ceremony, following a heated altercation. In the melee, 25-year-old Arnold Anguzu was killed and 19 others sustained serious injuries.

👉Police condemn torching of 300 homes in Madi-Okollo

Police spokesperson, Rusoke Kituuma. (File)

“The event was wrongly reported at first as a disco, but it was in fact a cultural ceremony,” Kituuma clarified. “What followed was an outright act of lawlessness.”

The next day, youth from Paradura cell, Anguzu’s home village, accused the residents of Onguruku cell of being behind his death. In a coordinated retaliation, they launched an assault, setting fire to an estimated 300 homes. The destruction was rapid and total, leaving families homeless, property destroyed, and livelihoods ruined.

“This level of destruction over a prior altercation is shocking and completely unacceptable,” Kituuma stated. “It indicates how deeply rooted revenge culture still is in some communities.”

Most of the suspects fled the area before the police could arrive.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has since launched a manhunt, while local leaders have been urged to engage in community sensitisation to prevent further outbreaks of mob justice.

“Three hundred homes burned in one day is unprecedented,” Kituuma added. “We must prioritise community education on peaceful conflict resolution. Violence only breeds more violence.”

School torched twice in two days

The string of fire incidents is not limited to rural homesteads. In Masaka city, a school has become the latest target of suspected arson.

Kako Secondary School in Nyendo Division suffered two fire outbreaks at Matovu dormitory within a span of just 48 hours.

On the morning of April 9, 2025, at 8:00am, a fire broke out in the girls’ dormitory while students were in class.

The blaze destroyed the belongings of 17 Senior Two girls living there, including mattresses, school uniforms, textbooks, suitcases, and personal effects. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

While investigations into that fire were still underway, a second blaze erupted in the same dormitory on the night of April 11 at around 12:02am, deepening suspicions of deliberate arson.

Twaha Kasirye, the Greater Masaka Police spokesperson, confirmed that three people had been arrested in connection with the fires—two askaris identified as Denis Aguta and Emmanuel Okecho, along with the school matron, Agnes Naluwu.

“Investigations are ongoing to establish whether this was an act of sabotage, negligence, or revenge,” Kasirye said. “We have picked up samples of the ashes for forensic analysis to determine the source and accelerants, if any.”

Statements have been recorded from the school’s headmaster, deputy head, nurse, affected students, and support staff. Meanwhile, the school’s fire safety protocols are being reviewed, and additional security measures have been implemented.

In Kayunga on March 18, a fire destroyed two vehicles and part of a building in the town council. In Kampala, firefighters responded to two separate incidents on March 15—one at Mandela City Tyres warehouse in Nakawa, reportedly caused by careless rubbish burning, and another in Kireka Market, which police and fire crews managed to contain before major losses occurred.

Report

Assistant Inspector General of Police Stephen Tanui, the Director of Fire and Rescue Services, expressed alarm over the rising number of fire-related incidents across the country.

In a recent report, Tanui revealed that total fire incidents jumped from 1,104 in 2023 to 1,280 in 2024—a 13.8% increase.

“Residential buildings and makeshift structures accounted for the majority of cases—300 and 250, respectively,” Tanui said. “Most of these fires were reported during the day, between 6:00am and 12:00pm, while 33% occurred in the early morning hours between midnight and 6:00am.”