A Kenyan woman, Dorothy Namayo, 43, allegedly stabbed five of her children, killing two and seriously injuring three others, following a domestic dispute over her husband's second marriage. The incident occurred on August 20, 2026, at their home in Bunga, Ggaba, in Kampala's Makindye Division, Uganda.
Attack Details and Victims
Namayo is accused of attacking her children after a fight with her Malian husband, Ederisa Troy, who allegedly took a second wife. One child, Khadija Daizy, 14, died at the scene from a stab wound to the neck. Another, Hawa Dalena, 7, later succumbed to her injuries at Nsambya Hospital, where she had been rushed for treatment.
Three other children, aged 13, eight, and five, survived the attack and are currently receiving treatment in hospital. The suspect is admitted at Mulago National Referral Hospital under police guard, while detectives investigate a case involving murder, attempted murder, and arson.
Witness Account and Family Dispute
The family's housemaid, Mariam Saana, told police that the incident followed months of domestic wrangles between the couple. Saana said the trouble started in May after Troy allegedly took a second wife. According to her, Troy wanted sons because Namayo had only daughters.
“Since then, they have been fighting and quarrelling every time he comes home. There has been no peace here,” Saana told police. The children reportedly called one of their father’s friends, who intervened and helped calm the situation before Troy left the home.
Neighbors' Response and Rescue Efforts
On the day of the attack, Saana said she woke up at about 5 am after hearing a commotion from the main house, which was opposite the boys’ quarters. When she opened the door, she saw a car on fire outside. One of the children was reportedly at a window calling for help and saying their mother had stabbed them before going outside.
Saana tried to enter the main house but found the locks had been changed and the gate secured with a new padlock. She raised an alarm, attracting neighbours who broke open the gate and forced their way through the main door, which had been locked from inside. “When we got inside, we found the children’s rooms were also locked and had to force them open. We rushed the children in a police patrol vehicle to a clinic in Ggaba, and they were later referred to Nsambya Hospital,” one of the responders said.
Namayo had also reportedly locked herself inside a room. Police and neighbours found her in a pool of blood and rushed her to Nsambya hospital.
Investigation and Community Shock
Godfrey Mukisa, one of the neighbours who responded to the alarm, said they struggled to gain access to the house. “When we entered, we found one child had been cut in the neck and was dead,” he said. “Another child had been badly stabbed in the stomach, while the others also had stomach injuries.” Mukisa said neighbours initially hesitated to intervene because they did not want to interfere in what they considered a private family dispute.
“At first we heard the noise, but we didn’t want to interfere in the affairs of rich people. Then the girl kept calling and shouting at the top of her voice for help. Other people came out of their houses, and we managed to gain access. Police had also arrived, and we helped take the victims to Ggaba Hospital,” he said.
Another neighbour, Emmanuel Kazibwe, said the couple had frequently quarrelled but would later reconcile. “We never imagined it would get to this point, with the woman killing her own children and then trying to take her own life,” Kazibwe said.
Kampala Metropolitan Police South, through Kabalagala Police Division, are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the events leading to the family dispute. Police have recovered statements from witnesses and physical exhibits from the scene. The investigation is intended to establish the precise sequence of events, the motive for the attack, and what happened immediately before and after the children were stabbed.
The deceased children's postmortem examinations are also expected to assist investigators in establishing the exact causes of death. For now, police have not announced any final findings on the motive, and allegations concerning the marital dispute remain subject to investigation. The case has shocked residents of Bunga and surrounding communities, coming only months after another horrific child-killing incident in the wider Ggaba area.
