A quiet household in the Kalungu Bunga area of Ggaba Parish, Makindye Division, was turned into a crime scene in the early hours of Thursday after an attack left two children dead, three others seriously injured and a family vehicle completely burnt.
The shocking incident, which occurred at about 4:00 a.m. on August 20, 2026, is being investigated by police as murder, attempted murder and arson, with detectives yet to establish what triggered the deadly attack.
Police said the alarm was raised after a housemaid was awakened by an alarm and cries for help coming from the main house.
When she went to investigate, she reportedly discovered children suffering from severe injuries and immediately sought help.
The maid then opened the house and found several children with what police described as serious stab wounds.
Inside one of the bedrooms, detectives found Khadija Daizy, 14, dead.
Another child, Hawa Dalena, 7, was rushed for emergency medical treatment but later died at Nsambya Hospital.
Three other children, aged 13, eight and five, survived the attack and were taken to hospital for treatment.
The deaths have turned what began as a predawn emergency into a major homicide investigation, with police now working to piece together what happened inside the home before the maid raised the alarm.
Mother found injured
Police have identified the suspected perpetrator as Namayo Dorothy, 43, a Kenyan national and mother of the children.
Namayo was also found injured following the incident and is currently receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she remains under police guard.
Her condition and the circumstances surrounding her injuries are expected to form a critical part of the investigation as detectives attempt to establish the sequence of events.
Police have not yet disclosed the suspected motive, and authorities have cautioned against speculation as investigations continue.
The fact that the suspect is also among those injured has added another layer to the case, with detectives expected to establish how the injuries occurred and what role each person may have played in the events inside the house.
Vehicle torched
The violence was followed by a separate act of destruction when a Toyota Hiace parked at the premises was set on fire.
The vehicle was completely burnt before police firefighters arrived and extinguished the flames.
Investigators recovered a jerrycan suspected to have contained petrol from the scene, providing a potentially important clue in the arson investigation.
The vehicle fire has prompted police to treat the incident not only as a homicide and attempted murder case but also as a deliberate arson investigation.
Detectives are expected to subject the recovered jerrycan and other exhibits to forensic examination as they seek to determine how the fire was started and whether it is connected to the attack on the children.
Crime scene combed
Kampala Metropolitan Police South, through Kabalagala Police Division, immediately deployed homicide detectives, Scene of Crime Officers and Fire and Rescue personnel to the premises.
The teams examined and documented the scene and recovered several exhibits for forensic analysis.
Police also conveyed the bodies of the two deceased children to Mulago City Mortuary, where postmortem examinations will be conducted.
The examinations are expected to establish the precise causes of death and provide additional evidence to investigators.
Police have already recorded statements from the person who reported the incident and other relevant witnesses.
Investigators are now expected to reconstruct the events leading up to the attack, including what happened before the alarm was raised, how the children sustained their injuries and how the vehicle caught fire.
Police tight-lipped on motive
Despite the disturbing nature of the attack, police have not yet revealed a possible motive.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths, the injuries sustained by the surviving children and the injuries suffered by the suspect remain under investigation.
Police said Namayo remains under guard at Mulago as inquiries continue.
The case has raised serious questions about what happened inside the residence in the early hours of Thursday, but investigators are expected to rely on forensic evidence, witness statements and medical findings to establish the full chain of events.
ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy Public Relations Officer for Kampala Metropolitan Police, confirmed that investigations are ongoing.
The two deaths have left the family and community grappling with the aftermath of one of the most disturbing incidents reported in the Kabalagala area, while the three surviving children continue to receive medical attention.
For now, police have sealed off the investigative trail around the home, with homicide detectives, forensic experts and fire investigators working to answer the central question: what happened inside the house before the children cried for help?
Police say the investigation will establish the circumstances and motive behind the attack.
