In Lwengo, a 77-year-old man named Bayeda David has been placed under preventive detention as he awaits his court appearance for allegedly murdering his 70-year-old wife, Jessica Korimongo.
The incident occurred after a series of domestic misunderstandings between the couple, who were living in separate rooms at the time.
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Following the incident, Bayeda David attempted to take his own life, and he is currently receiving treatment at Mbarara Referral Hospital.
According to the police spokesperson Fred Enanga, Bayeda David used a blood-stained panga (machete) to harm himself and also tried to ingest poison.
Once he is declared fit to stand trial by doctors at the hospital, he will be charged with murder and attempted murder.
This tragic case sheds light on the issue of domestic violence in Uganda. According to the 2022 Annual Crimes Report released by the Police, there was a slight increase in reported cases of domestic violence, totaling 17,698 cases in 2022 compared to 17,533 cases in 2021.
Domestic violence is a prevalent form of gender-based violence in Uganda, leading to severe consequences for victims and significant costs for the government and society.
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The gender ministry’s statistics indicate that the government spends billions of shillings on healthcare and law enforcement to address the impacts of domestic violence.
Moreover, between 2012 and 2017, Uganda incurred substantial revenue losses amounting to 0.25% of the national budget or approximately $20.77 billion (about shillings 74.7 trillion) due to incidents of sexual and gender-based violence.
It is evident that domestic violence poses a serious problem in Uganda, and measures are required to address and reduce these incidents to safeguard individuals and mitigate the economic burden it places on society.
