The increasing cases of violence meted on girls and women are causing panic among the residents in the Serere district.
This follows the killing of at least four females by their estranged lovers in about one month in the district.
Those killed are Scovia Apio, 18, a student of Homeword Secondary School in Ochaapa Town Council, and Joyce Mary Ilolu, 16, a pupil of Idupa Primary School in Olio Sub County.
The duo was killed in two separate incidents on June 12 and July 12, 2024, respectively by their suspected lovers.
Also killed was Betty Inangolet, 40, who was allegedly killed by her ex, Jimmy Nsereko, at Aturia Village in Kagwara Town Council on June 23, 2024.
Inangolet had separated from Nsereko for more than a year when he reportedly followed and assaulted her leading to death.
Like Inangolet, the two students also met their deaths after reportedly severing ties with their lovers.
Information on the ground indicates that Scovia Apio and Joyce Mary Ilolu were allegedly killed by their boyfriends.
Although the police arrested two suspects, one has been released after spending two weeks in police custody.
The freed suspect had been arrested in the Kapelebyong district and returned to the Serere district on June 14, 2024.
His arrest followed investigative leads that connected him to the crime scene.
However, after the police interrogated the suspect, he was released on July 3, 2024, from Serere Central Police Station.
This has left the family in pain as their hopes for justice have diminished.
It’s reported that on the fateful night of the killing of Apio, her brother, Tom Osako tried to get hold of the suspect but the suspect reportedly managed to escape.
It is from Osako’s description of the suspect that the police were able to arrest the suspect from Kapelebyong.
Hellen Ipiya, the mother of the deceased says that the release of the suspect shows that her daughter won’t receive any justice.
“This government doesn’t care about the poor people,” she said with uncontrollable tears rolling down her cheeks.
“We’re left grieving when the person responsible for my daughter’s death is out there, enjoying life. That man had been threatening my daughter verbally and on the phone but nobody was willing to give attention to such detail. I am in pain but I pray that God intervenes in this situation.”
The LC1 Chairman of Ojama village, Emmanuel Ojango says that his people are now living in fear since the attack on the student.
“Some people have abandoned their homes because of fear,’ he said.
“Whenever any new faces surface here, people are thrown into panic. This isn’t good because such anxiety might cost the lives of innocent people visiting the area. Recently, some residents saw a group of people in the village and this caused unrest. I had to call for the security meeting to help calm down the situation.”
Deborah Akello, the Executive Director for Women and Girls Rights Advocacy- Uganda (WAGRAU), a community based organization operating in Serere district notes that issues of break- up and violence need urgent attention to help the girl- children and women to enjoy their rights in families.
Akello notes that from January 21- May 31, 2024, statistics from Serere HC1V alone indicate that 77 females were sexually assaulted while another 137 suffered physical violence during the period in review.
She notes that some of the girls were gang raped to death while others are still recovering from the trauma.
On July 3, 2024, an old woman Anne Mary Akello was strangled to death in her in Kidetok Town Council over the Social Assistance Grant Empowerment (SAGE) cash that she received from the government.
On the day of her attack, the other two women survived death by similar groups who were combing the area.
The East Kyoga Regional Police Spokesman, Edison Obukulem says that the security situation in Serere is being handled as security agencies are intensifying intelligence gathering and deployment.
He notes that a file of Scovia Apio is being reviewed at the regional police headquarters after receiving complaints from the family.
English 