A heartbreaking family dispute has emerged in Kitwekyanjovu Village, Kayazanga Sub-county, Lwengo District, after a mother reportedly carried the body of her two-year-old son away following disagreements over where the child should be buried. The disagreement, which involved questions about the boy’s paternity, disrupted burial arrangements and left residents shocked.
The woman, identified as Mackline, is married to Joseph Ssewankambo and lives in the village. According to residents, the child died on Tuesday evening, and preparations for his burial had started when disagreements emerged among family members over whether he belonged to Ssewankambo’s family.
As tensions increased, Mackline reportedly picked up her son’s body and left the matrimonial home, heading to another family she believed should take responsibility for the burial. However, she was allegedly rejected there and later returned to her husband’s home, asking for permission to bury the child on the family property.
Residents said the situation became more painful when relatives questioned why she had returned with the body after allegedly claiming that Ssewankambo was not the child’s biological father. The disagreement reportedly reflected deeper tensions that had existed between Mackline and her husband’s relatives before the tragedy.
The situation became even more complicated after allegations emerged that Mackline had accused her mother-in-law of contributing to the child’s death through an alleged overdose of medication. Neighbour Ronald Kalema said the child had reportedly fallen sick two days before his death and that the family had given him medicine instead of immediately taking him to hospital. However, the allegations have not been independently established.
The child’s grandmother, Regina Naluyima, also expressed disappointment over the events, saying she was shocked when Mackline allegedly accused and insulted her after she arrived at the family home following a phone call about the death. Naluyima denied having anything to do with the child’s death, saying she had only seen the boy after he had already passed away.
After the disagreement escalated, Mackline reportedly broke down and pleaded for forgiveness, prompting her father-in-law to eventually allow the child to be buried on the family property. However, the relatives allegedly insisted that the grave should be placed at the boundary of the Kibanja rather than in the main family burial grounds. Mackline was later seen carrying her son’s body to the designated location, where residents helped complete the burial.
The incident has left residents questioning how a child’s final farewell could turn into such a painful family confrontation. Village chairperson Achleo Ntambazi condemned the disagreement, blaming domestic misunderstandings and tensions between couples and extended families for contributing to conflicts. The two-year-old was eventually laid to rest, but the dispute surrounding his burial has left the family and community deeply affected.
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