Ugandan Tragedy: Kenyan Mother Stabs Five Children, Two Die, After Husband Takes Second Wife

A devastating domestic incident unfolded in Kampala, Uganda, on August 20, 2026, where a 43-year-old Kenyan woman, Dorothy Namayo, allegedly attacked her five children with a knife. The horrific event, which took place at their Bunga, Ggaba residence in Makindye Division, resulted in the deaths of two children and serious injuries to three others.

According to preliminary investigations, Namayo reportedly turned on her offspring following a heated domestic dispute with her Malian husband, Ederisa Troy. The conflict was reportedly sparked by Troy's decision to marry a second wife.

The victims include 14-year-old Khadija Daizy, who succumbed to a stab wound in the neck at the scene. Her 7-year-old sister, Hawa Dalena, later passed away at Nsambya hospital, where she had been rushed for urgent medical attention. The remaining three children, aged 13, eight, and five, survived the assault and are currently undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Namayo is presently admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital under police guard as detectives investigate charges of murder, attempted murder, and arson related to the incident.

Mariam Saana, the family's housemaid, provided a statement to the police, indicating that the attack was the culmination of months of marital strife between Namayo and Troy. Saana revealed that the discord began in May after Troy allegedly took a second wife. She further explained that Troy desired sons, while Namayo had only given birth to daughters. "Since then, they have been fighting and quarrelling every time he comes home. There has been no peace here," Saana recounted to the authorities.

Reports suggest that the children had previously sought help from one of their father’s friends, who intervened to de-escalate a tense situation before Troy left the house. On the day of the attack, Saana described being awakened around 5 AM by a commotion emanating from the main house, which was opposite the boys' quarters. Upon opening her door, she witnessed a car engulfed in flames outside. One of the children was seen at a window, desperately calling for assistance and claiming their mother had stabbed them before going outside.

Saana attempted to enter the main house but discovered the locks had been changed and the gate secured with a new padlock. She raised an alarm, drawing neighbours who ultimately forced open the gate and the main door, which was locked from within. A responder described the scene 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."

Namayo herself was found locked in a room, lying in a pool of blood. Police and neighbours quickly transported her to Nsambya hospital for treatment.

Godfrey Mukisa, a neighbour who assisted, detailed the struggle to gain entry: "When we entered, we found one child had been cut in the neck and was dead. Another child had been badly st@bbed in the stomach, while the others also had stomach injuries." Mukisa noted that neighbours initially hesitated to intervene, perceiving it as a private family matter. "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 stated.

Another neighbour, Emmanuel Kazibwe, confirmed that the couple frequently quarrelled but would often reconcile. "We never imagined it would get to this point, with the woman k!lling her own children and then trying to take her own life," Kazibwe expressed.

Kampala Metropolitan Police South, through the Kabalagala Police Division, is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack, including the sequence of events that led to the family dispute. Police have gathered witness statements and collected physical evidence from the crime scene.