Man Kills Wife With Axe After Hospital Release

In Otuke District, northern Uganda, a 38-year-old man was detained for brutally killing his wife.

A 38-year-old woman named Jennet Atim was fatally hacked by Jimmy Ogwel, a resident of Merimaki Village in Ogor Sub County, Otuke District, after a domestic dispute. Jimmy Ogwel is currently being held at Otuke Central Police Station.

According to the police report, the deceased took their ill child to a local clinic on Friday for treatment. They were admitted for the night, released the following day (Saturday), and then returned home at around nine o’clock.

However, Ogwel apparently became very irate when he thought his wife was having an extramarital affair. In the heat of the moment, he reportedly picked up an axe and cut her, instantly killing her.

SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, the spokeswoman for the North Kyoga regional police, acknowledged the occurrence and stated that further inquiries are being made.

“A team of Otuke Central Police Station officers inspected the crime scene, and it was thoroughly documented. The suspect was detained and transported to Otuke CPS while his file was assembled for submission to the Resident State Attorney, according to a statement released by SP Okema on Sunday.

The deceased’s remains had been transported to Orum Health Center IV pending post mortem, he continued.

“We urge married people to always control their tempers before acting; this is a really sad situation. We ask the surviving family members to maintain their composure and pledge to take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is served, he continued.

In 2022, there were 301 reported incidents of murder caused by domestic violence, down from 376 cases in 2021, according to the police crime report, which represents a 19.9% decline.