Police have launched a manhunt in Buyende District for a father accused of torturing his six-year-old son over reportedly taking Shs20,000 from his pocket and spending Shs500.
Ivan Wambi, a 34-year-old resident of Namusita Village in Buyende Sub-county, is wanted on child torture-related charges after his son, Moses Ngobi, was hospitalized in the pediatric ward at Kamuli General Hospital with severe burns. Authorities report that Wambi allegedly forced his son into a fireplace with boiling water, leading to serious injuries. The incident occurred last Thursday, and Wambi fled the scene immediately after.
Police in Busoga North emphasized the importance of addressing child abuse and warned that the father would be prosecuted to discourage similar actions from others.
The boy’s grandmother, Eve Nabirye, who is caring for him in the hospital, explained that her grandson sustained burns on his legs, face, stomach, and hands, consistent with injuries from both charcoal and hot water. According to Nabirye, the boy had not eaten all day and, with his mother absent, took Shs20,000 from his father’s pocket to buy food worth Shs500, returning the remaining Shs19,500.