Mable Tumukuzire has been arrested by police Kiruhura district on accusations of killing her two grandchildren after being annoyed by her two sons, Gastonia Muramuzi and Onesmus Akatuhwera, who are fathers of the victims.
Police say Tumukuzire 59, developed a serious misunderstanding with Muramuzi and Akatuhwera which prompted her to call her other son, Justus Mwesigwa, 29, a businessman of the same village informing him how his brothers wanted to fight her.
She later told Mwesigwa that she was going to leave the home and never return. Mwesigwa responded and reached home at around 2am, but did not find her mother and two grandchildren Daton Gumisiriza 7, and Prosper Akatuhwera 2.
Gumisiriza is a son to Muramuzi while Prosper Akatuhwera is a daughter to Onesmus Akatuhwera Akatuhwera.
“When they called her to find her whereabouts, she insisted that they would never see her again,” police said.
Locals launched a hunt for the grandmother and her grandchildren leading to recovery of the first body of the deceased at Dege’s farm, located about 1.3kms away from the suspects home.
“The second body of the grandchild was recovered from Jolly’s dam, located 300 metres away from the suspects home. Upon recovery, it was established that the bodies of the victims had swollen stomachs, and with external injuries,” Fred Enanga the police spokesperson said.
Tumukuzire has since told police that she pushed the victims into the valley dams with the help of her husband, Sarapio Katwiremunda and they drowned.
Police have launched a serious manhunt for the husband who is in hiding is ongoing. Police have established that Tumukuzire was not happy, with her son, Onesmus Akatuhwera, marrying a woman with a child from an earlier marriage.
“This grandmother had always threatened her daughter-in-law to leave her home with her child. In this circumstance, the motivation was anger and revenge, which cost the lives of two innocent grandchildren,” Enanga said.
Police have said the suspect is to be charged with two counts of murder, as a serious manhunt for her husband continues.