Girl, 15, stabbed to death while taking a bath

Immaculate Nanziri, a Senior Two student at St Joseph’s SS Butenga, was attacked by unknown assailants at her grandmother’s home.

Tragedy struck the Kawoko-Kiwenjula village in Butenga Town Council, Bukomansimbi District, when a 15-year-old girl was brutally murdered while bathing on Tuesday evening.

Immaculate Nanziri, a Senior Two student at St Joseph’s SS Butenga, was attacked by unknown assailants at her grandmother’s home.

The shocking incident occurred around 6pm at the home of Cotilda Namuddu, 75, who had been caring for her granddaughter.

According to Ms Namuddu, Nanziri had just finished lunch and went to the bathroom to bathe when the attack happened.

Ms Namuddu recounted the horrifying moment she heard her granddaughter scream in pain as she was being stabbed in the back.

“I heard her scream, ‘Jjaja, they have cut my back,’ and I asked her, ‘Do you know the people?’ She said no, and I immediately ran out to call for help,” Namuddu said.

“When I reached the compound, I found her lying on the ground, barely breathing.”

Namuddu expressed shock and confusion over the attack, noting that there was no sign of blood in the bathroom where Nanziri had been bathing.

“I still can’t understand how they managed to do this without leaving any traces in the bathroom,” she added.

The tragic event has left the family and local residents in deep sorrow and fear. The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and the community is questioning why such a young, innocent girl, who was not known to be involved in any romantic relationships or disputes, was targeted.

“My granddaughter had no grudges with anyone. She would come back from school and did not have the habit of moving around the village. She would do housework very well and then stay home. I do not know why she was killed," Namuddu told the Nile Post.

Mubarak Ssebuufu Junior, the vice-chairperson of Bukomansimbi District, expressed concern over the increasing number of murders in the area.

“This year alone, eight people have been killed in a similar manner,” he said.

Ssebuufu urged the police to take swift and decisive action to bring the culprits to justice and restore safety in the district.

Residents have voiced their frustration with the police, accusing them of being slow to act on previous murder cases in Bukomansimbi.

“We have heard many promises from the police, but nothing ever comes of them,” lamented Bashir Kiberu, a resident.

“We called them when it was still early, but they took a long time. Now they have brought their sniffer dog at 8 p.m.—what is it going to do?”

Another resident, John Muddu, demanded, “We need a clear report on what happened to Nanziri and assurance that her killers will be brought to justice.”

In their efforts to track down the perpetrators, the police deployed a sniffer dog, but the search yielded no results.

Masaka Region Police spokesperson Twaha Kasirye confirmed the grisly nature of the crime, revealing that the assailants used sharp knives to sever Nanziri’s spinal cord, leading to her death.

Kasirye assured the residents of Kawoko-Kiwenjula that the police are committed to finding those responsible for the heinous act.

“We will not rest until the assailants are apprehended and brought to justice,” Kasirye vowed.

Nanziri’s body has been taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination as investigations continue.

The police have called on anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.

The brutal killing of Nanziri has left the Bukomansimbi community in shock and mourning as they grapple with the loss of a young life cut tragically short.