Uganda: Man kills 9-month-old son after failing to receive COVID-19 relief from Gov’t

Police in Uganda are holding a 35-year-old man who is accused of strangling his nine-month-old son to death after allegedly failing to receive the  UShs.100,000 (approx. 3,000 Kenya shillings) Covid-19 relief for vulnerable persons from government.

According to a report on the Daily Monitor, Kalaki resident district commissioner (RDC) Paul Kalikwani said the suspect, a resident of Ogwolo Sub-county, had been telling villagemates that he would  kill all members of his family if  he didn’t get the money.

It is reported that after the suspect heard that other people had received the relief fund through their mobile phones he turned against members of his family.

“The suspect first engaged in a fight with his wife and later grabbed the nine-month-old baby whom he strangled to death,” the RDC said.

Mr. Kalikwani expressed shock at the man’s actions noting that nobody in the Kalaki District had received the COVID-19 money.

“I was shocked to get information that the suspect had started killing members of his family for failing to receive Covid-19 money, yet nobody in Kalaki District had got it,” Mr Kalikwani said of the suspect being held at Kalaki Central Police Station.

The Ugandan government committed to give each vulnerable person UShs.100,000 to go through the 42-day lockdown that was announced last month by President Museveni to combat the spread of Covid-19.

The man’s wife was quoted saying: “My husband first got drunk before returning home, but after I overpowered him, I saw him turning against the child who he strangled.”