Lightning kills 3 family members in Rubanda

Three family members were on Sunday struck dead by a thunderbolt in Rubanda district.

 

Ambrose Kanunu, 35, a resident of Rwamuyora village, Nyarurambu parish, Muko sub-county was killed alongside his two sons; Justus Asiimwe aged 7 and Arnold Habomugisha aged 5 – both former pupils of Bwindi primary school.    

According to Jotham Sunday, the head teacher of Bwindi primary school, the trio met their death at around 06:00 pm during a heavy downpour. He explains that Kanunu was sleeping while the children were in the sitting room when they were all struck and killed on the spot. He says that only Kanunu’s wife, Allen Uwimana, 32, survived since she was in the kitchen preparing food.     

Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson, says that they conducted a postmortem and handed over the bodies to their relatives to proceed with funeral arrangements. Cases of lightning are common in the Kigezi region.    

In December 2022, 20-year-old Fere from Nyarurambi village in Muko sub county also in Rubanda was struck dead. In September 2021, Edidiya Turyatemba, 42, and Diana Kajowa, 31, both residents of Mukasyokwe village in Kyamukende parish, Kinaba sub-county, Kanungu district were also killed by lightning.

On April 20th, 2018, Aggrey Ainembabazi, a resident of Kinyisa cell in Retendere parish, Kayonza sub-county, and a pupil at Nyakeina Parents primary school in Kayonza sub-county was also struck to death while seven others escaped with injuries.

 

On April 3, 2018, lightning struck a woman together with her daughter in Bujengwe village, Karangara parish in Kayonza sub-county.