In a tragic incident, Charles Kakonge, a 58-year-old Physics and Mathematics teacher at Namagabi SS in Kayunga Town, lost his life due to electrocution. The incident occurred as Kakonge attempted to dismantle wires he had illicitly connected to a transmission pole. Kayunga District Police Commander, Rosette Sikahwa, confirmed the teacher’s identity and profession, shedding light on the unfortunate event.
Kakonge met his untimely demise around 6:30 am on a Saturday morning while endeavoring to disengage the wires he had surreptitiously linked to the transmission pole. According to his grieving widow, Annet Namudu, he had been employing a long, dry stick to both attach and detach the wires. Tragically, during this particular attempt, he suffered an electric shock.
A neighbor, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that Kakonge had been stealing electricity by looping the wires onto the electricity service cables in the evening and removing them in the early morning to evade detection by Umeme personnel. It is suspected that the electrocution occurred due to the wet conditions of the pole and Kakonge’s barefooted state at the time.
Umeme staff promptly visited the scene and cautioned residents against engaging in such illicit power connections. Subsequently, Kakonge’s body was transported to Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem examination, while investigations into the incident continue.