Kabale – A 39-year-old man was electrocuted on Wednesday and died instantly after touching a live support wire in a garden in Bufuka village, Mwendo Parish, Kitumba Sub-county, Kabale District.
The Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, confirmed the incident, saying investigations are underway to establish how the electric wire had power despite being on the ground.
The deceased, identified as Tukwasibwe Ivan, had reportedly gone to clear bushes in his mother’s garden when the tragedy occurred at around 11:38 a.m. on January 29, 2025.
“It is alleged that he touched a support wire on the ground, which unfortunately had electric power, shocking him to death,” Maate stated.
Local authorities, led by the area chairperson, Nelson Turyahumura, alerted the police, who visited the scene, documented the case, and transported the body to Kabale Referral Hospital for postmortem. The body was later handed over to relatives for burial.
The incident has raised concerns about electrical infrastructure safety in rural communities. While talking to our reporter, Chairman Turyahumura urged responsible authorities to inspect power lines to prevent similar tragedies.
Police are expected to work with electricity distribution companies to determine how the wire got electrified and whether negligence played a role in the fatal accident.
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