Story by Osuta Yusuf
Maracha District
Residents of Etoko Village, Nyoroo Parish, Nyadri Sub-county in Maracha East Constituency, Maracha District, are living in fear, with many displaced, after a notorious man named Eyotre Kennedy, believed to be 33 years old, attacked their community. Between 2017 and 2022, Kennedy reportedly injured three people with a panga, and in 2023, he killed one person.
According to local residents and leaders, Kennedy, who was imprisoned in Koboko Prison in November 2023 for murder, escaped in May 2024 before being sentenced. He returned to Etoko Village with the intent of killing 25-year-old Amaokobo Solomon, the orphaned son of Draku Moses, whom Kennedy had murdered in September 2023. However, when Kennedy didn’t find Solomon at home on Monday, September 9, 2024, he resorted to burning down two grass-thatched houses.
Solomon, who had gone to Alikua trading center that day, was notified by phone that Kennedy had come to his home looking for him. When Kennedy couldn’t find him, he set the houses, which had been left to Solomon by his late father, on fire.
“After Kennedy killed my father in 2023, he left a note listing the names of people he intends to kill in Etoko Village,” Solomon said during an interview.
The LC1 Chairman of Etoko Village, Mr. Bada Anthony, stated that Kennedy’s violent behavior has forced most villagers to seek refuge in neighboring areas, only returning home during the day.
Sonia Cheka, Solomon’s sister and a fellow orphan, recounted how Kennedy arrived at their home and, upon finding only women, chased them away with a panga before setting the two houses on fire. She explained that their attempts to extinguish the flames were futile because Kennedy remained at the scene, threatening to cut them if they approached.
One resident, who chose to remain anonymous due to fear of being targeted by Kennedy, said their village has been nicknamed “Sudan Zone” because of the severe insecurity. She expressed frustration, wondering if the Ugandan government would ever step in to arrest and imprison Kennedy for his numerous crimes, including manslaughter, assault, murder, and arson.
The ongoing chaos caused by Kennedy, who is known to carry a spear, panga, arrows, and a bow, has displaced many people from Etoko Village over the past seven years. Some have fled to Koboko District, Madi Okollo District, while others have sought refuge as far away as Kampala.