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Grandmother held for strangling grandson
What you need to know:
- During the burial of the boy, angry residents also wanted to lynch his mother whom they accused of abandoning her parental responsibilities.
The police in Kayunga District are holding a 59-year-old woman who allegedly strangled her grandson accusing him of leaving the home to play without her permission.
The Kayunga District police commander, Ms Rosette Sikahwa on June 23 identified the suspect as Habibah Kideni a resident of Busaana cell in Busaana Town council and the deceased boy as Jonathan Duku aged 7 years.
The deceased was in primary one in Busaana Church of Uganda Primary School.
According to Mr Rajab Mukwaya, the Busaana Deputy Mayor and a resident in the area, Ms Kiden who has been taking care of the boy since he was nine months old, on June 21 got angry when the grandson left home to play with other children without her permission.
'At around 6PM, the boy returned home and when a furious Kiden saw him, she pounced on him and started battering him while the boy pleaded for forgiveness," Mr Mukwaya said.
Some neighbours who heard the boy yelling also pleaded with the grandmother to stop beating the boy in vain.
Later, the deputy mayor said, Kiden who was squeezing the boy's head dragged him into the house.
"While in the house, it seems the suspect realised the boy had died. She lay him on the bed facing downward and later locked the house and went away," Mr Ibrahim Zedi, the area LC 1 chairperson said.
Kiden reportedly did not return to her home until the following morning.
Upon entering her house, Ms Kiden made an alarm claiming her grandson had died.
Concerned neighbours gathered to see what had happened.
Residents who had witnessed Ms Kiden batter her grandson turned against her claiming she was the one who had killed him.
Angry residents wanted to lynch her but was whisked away by local leaders who took her to Busaana police station.
She was later transferred to Kayunga central police station where she is being held on murder charges.
According to Mr Mukwaya, the suspect was early this year arrested by police for beating the boy badly. She was released on police bond.
Ms Rosette Sikahwa, the Kayunga District police commander said the postmortem report showed the boy was strangled .
"She is facing murder charges, " Ms Sikahwa said.
During the burial of the boy, angry residents also wanted to lynch his mother whom they accused of abandoning her parental responsibilities.
She was saved by some mourners.
