MITYANA MUNICIPALITY: 08 June 2026 -Police have issued a stark warning to parents following the tragic death of a six-year-old girl who drowned in a drainage channel during a heavy downpour over the weekend.
The deceased, identified as Nagayi Shifah, was a pupil at Hilton Primary School and a daughter to Mr. Kibirige Sulaiman and Ms. Namata Hadijah, residents of Buswabulongo Ward, Busimbi Division in Mityana Municipality.
According to a police statement released on Monday, June 8, 2026, the incident occurred on Saturday, June 6, when Shifah joined other village children to play in the running rainwater. Local authorities noted that it has become a common but dangerous habit in the village for children to undress and play in the streets and drainage systems whenever it rains.
On the fateful afternoon, Shifah allegedly joined her peers in the fast-flowing water following a heavy downpour but was quickly overpowered by the strong rapids inside a local drainage channel.
She drowned, and her body was recovered a few hours later after the water levels had subsided.
Police Response and Public Appeal
The Mityana Police homicide team visited the scene, retrieved the body, and transported it to the mortuary for a postmortem examination.
In light of the tragedy, the Wamala Regional Police Spokesperson, SSP L. Kigozi, strongly cautioned parents against negligence and urged them to prioritize child safety during adverse weather.
”We appeal to the public in Mityana and the Wamala region at large to keep their children indoors during vagary weather conditions,” SSP Kigozi stated.
The police also reminded the public that heavy rains bring multiple life-threatening hazards beyond drowning, including:
- Lightning strikes
- Severe hailstones
- Flash flooding
Authorities have urged parents and guardians to exercise strict caution and supervision to prevent similar heart-breaking incidents as the rainy season continues.