Quarrel over woman ends with two men killing each other

A more than one-year-old love triangle has ended with a fatal fight between two men in Mukono District in central Uganda.

What started as a mere quarrel between the two neighbours in Kiyunga village, Kyampisi Sub-county Mukono District on Friday morning degenerated into a fierce fight leading to the death of the two men, police have said.

Police identified the deceased as Hassan Kiwango, a 45-year-old plumber and Hakim Katende, a 48-year-old taxi driver.

Neighbours said they heard the two men, who live about 100 metres from each other, quarrelling on Friday morning but did not intervene because they thought they would eventually part ways unhurt like they have always done.

This time, however, the quarrel degenerated into a violent fight as both men armed themselves with sharp objects.

They are said to have succumbed to injuries they sustained during the fight.

Kiwango died at the scene of the fight while Katende is said to have died a few metres from the scene as he tried to flee. His body was found lying in a pool of blood in a nearby building still under construction.

"We thought they were just quarrelling as usual because their misunderstandings over a woman (Katende's wife) have taken more than a year," one of the neighbours, Ms Aisha Namuddu said.

Namuddu said she didn't intervene in their fight because the two men have often “quarrelled and parted ways peacefully.”

However, it was hours after the fight when neighbours spotted droplets of blood near Kiwango's house that they decided to alert police.

The area LCI chairperson, Mr Douglas Ssekalegga said the two have had misunderstandings over Katende’s wife he identified as one Dorothy Birungi.

"It's more than a year now since these two started fighting over that woman. We were supposed to have a final meeting with them today (Friday) at Kiyunga Mosque. Unfortunately, they fought and are now dead," Mr Ssekalegga said.

Ssekalegga said Kiwango's wife travelled to Saudi Arabia for work and left him with their two children.

“Katende reported to me that Kiwango was having an affair with his wife. She would also allegedly prepare and serve him food,” he said.

Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango said they are still investigating the case but the bodies had been taken to Kayunga referral hospital for postmortem.

“Statements were recorded from the children, relatives of the deceased and the chairman,” he said.

Mr Onyango said Ms Birungi and her children were evacuated from their home as their neighbours had threatened to harm them.

"When we went to Kiwango's home, we found his body lying in a pool of blood with several cuts," she said.

When neighbours trailed more blood droppings that led to a house still under construction, they found Katende's body also with deep cuts.