Lukoni Village in Rakai district is in a state of shock after a mother poisoned her three children and then hanged herself on Sunday..
The woman, Teddy Nakyanzi, and Pascal Ssekyanzi her 4 year old son, are dead. The two surviving children, Grace Nabalisa 2 years old, and Frank Kaweesi 4 months old, are fighting for their lives at Kalisizo hospital where they were rushed in critical condition.
It is suspected that the mother laced their evening meal with poison which she fed to the children before hanging herself in their family home. The mother and her three children were discovered by the woman’s husband, Fred Kaggwa, on Sunday at 6 pm. He was reportedly returning from work.
Kaggwa informed the Police that on returning home from work, he was surprised to find the house locked from inside. Kaggwa says he broke into the house by forcing the back door open after he got no response. This is when he found his wife Teddy hanging from the roof and their 3 children unconscious on the floor.
He immediately raised an alarm and with the help of neighbours rushed the three children to Kalisizo hospital. Their oldest child, Pascal Ssekyanzi, unfortunately died on the way to the hospital. Dr George Wagubulizi, the medical superintendent of Kalisizo hospital, confirmed that the two children were out of immediate danger.
A postmortem report released by the hospital indicates that the eldest child died from ingesting a large quantity of poison. Dr Wagumbulizi said he believes the children ate food laced with what he suspects to be rat poison.
Acting Criminal Investigations officer Michael Turyakire said that the bodies of the dead had been handed over to the relatives for burial as investigations into the matter continue.
Fred Kaggwa, the widower, said he had no clue why his wife had poisoned their children. He claimed that their domestic situation was calm and the murder of his eldest son and wife’s suicide had taken him by surprise.
