news 28 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Lightning Strike in Buyende Kills Two Siblings, Injures Three During Sugarcane Planting
A devastating lightning strike amid heavy rains in Buyende District claimed the lives of two siblings and injured three relatives as they planted sugarcane. Local leaders are urging residents to seek shelter indoors during storms to avoid such tragedies. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/rainstorm-lightning-kills-siblings-injures-three-in-buyende-5406080
A tragic lightning strike during a heavy rainstorm in Busimba Village, Gumpi Sub-county, Buyende District, killed two siblings and injured three others on Friday evening.
The victims, relatives working together in a garden planting sugarcane, included Joel Italo from Namaganga Village in Jinja District and his sister Brenda Naigaga from Nkondo Village in Buyende, originally from Jinja City. Their mother had invited them to assist with the farm work.
David Mugweri, the local LC1 chairman, confirmed the heavy rains brought the deadly lightning, leaving two dead and three hurt. Emmanuel Mawulire, councillor for Kimbaya Parish, noted that relatives were notified by phone to collect the bodies for burial, adding that Naigaga had been married locally.
Local officials are calling on residents to stay indoors during storms to prevent similar incidents. Such lightning strikes are frequent in Uganda’s rural areas, especially when people are outdoors in wet weather.