The police in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Thursday arrested a woman and her daughter over the murder of a 50-year-old South Sudanese national, James Wani, whose burnt body was discovered after days of his mysterious disappearance.
The arrests followed an investigation after residents of Katooke in Kisimu, near Kampala, where Wani lived with his wife and stepdaughter, expressed concerns. According to sources, neighbors became suspicious after he vanished inexplicably.
The wife initially said Wani was admitted to Mulago Hospital, before her daughter told police that her mother had killed him and burned the body.
“Upon inquiry, the daughter revealed that her stepfather had been murdered by her mother and his body was set ablaze,” said SSP Patrick Onyango, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson.
The police then retrieved Wani’s burnt remains and took them to the city mortuary for an autopsy.
“We have opened a murder case file and both the mother and daughter are in our custody for further interrogation, SSP Onyango stated. “Preliminary findings indicate there may have been a history of domestic violence in the home.”