Two Children Die in Suspected Stray Dog Attacks in Kitagwenda

What the report says

Two children have died and another child is receiving treatment after suspected stray dog attacks in Kitagwenda District, western Uganda, according to Nile Post. The reported incidents have raised alarm in several areas of Kanara Sub-county, including Kigarama, Kabirizi I and II, Kanara Central and Rwebaare Cell, where residents say roaming dogs have become a growing danger.

Kanara Sub-county chairperson Francis Hategyeka said the children who died were between six and 10 years old and were bitten before later succumbing while being treated at hospital. He also said a five-year-old child is still receiving care. Beyond the human toll, residents and local leaders say the dogs have killed livestock as well, with at least 60 goats and four sheep reportedly lost.

Local authorities said they had alerted relevant district offices, including the production department, but no response or intervention had been made at the time of reporting. Residents are now calling for urgent action to remove or control the dogs and prevent more deaths.

More broadly, stray dog attacks can pose public health and safety risks in rural communities, especially where animals move freely near homes and farms. In this case, the reported losses have intensified anxiety among parents and livestock keepers in Kitagwenda.