Albino woman maimed
A 51 year-old woman with albinism, Lucia Kayinga, is battling for her life at the Mzuzu Central Hospital after allegedly been attacked by a neighbour and a Tanzanian national, completely cutting off her right hand and left hand fingers.
Kayinga met her fate on Saturday night after, together with her husband, heard a voice of an unknown person shouting for help outside their house.
The assailants chopped off Kayinga’s right arm and seriously injured her left hand fingers leaving her in agony.
They also hacked Kayinga’s husband who is also reportedly admitted at a hospital in Chitipa.
Narrating the ordeal at Mzuzu Central Hospital where they were referred from Chitipa District Hospital the woman’s cousin, Ruth Kayinga, said the woman was attacked as they tried to attend to the calls for help outside their house.
“Though skeptical, her husband opened the door to help but was over powered by the assailants. When she intervened, that is when they grabbed her and started chopping off her hand. They also wanted to do the same to the left hand but failed because she shouted for help,” said Kayinga.
Ruth also alleged that the neighbour, Joseph Ndimbwa, and an unidentified Tanzanian national were among the assailants.
Struggling to make a comment, Lucia said the attackers have taken off her livelihood.
“I used to farm and fend for my family but I don’t think I will be able to do that with what they have done to me,” Lucia said.
Chit ipa Pol ice Publicis t, Gladwell Simwaka, said yesterday that the husband to the victim, 81 year old Yohane Mfungwe, was the first to be assaulted with a plank of wood on his way out to help.
“He fell down and collapsed, the assailants then went ahead and attacked the wife with pangas, targeting her hands and the head, leaving her with deep cuts on the neck and the left hand,” he said.
Simwaka said police suspect the screaming was a deliberate ploy by the thugs to get access to the couple.
After they let go of her, Kayinga shouted for help after which well-wishers came and took the couple to Ipenza Police before proceeding to Chitipa District Hospital for treatment.
The police spokesperson has also disclosed that they have arrested one suspect following hints from the victim’s husband who among other things recognised the voice of one of the attackers.
“We may not divulge much information about the suspect since investigations are underway. Otherwise, we have scaled up security in all places where there are people with albinism in the district,” Simwaka said
Chitipa has 15 registered people with albinism according to police.
This is the first serious incident of an attack on a person with albinism in Chitipa after an incident of exhumation of an albino’s corpse was reported at Upiwu in the area of Traditional Authority Mwaulambya.
Kayinga comes from Mweneipenza Village, in the area of Senior Chief Kameme along the Tanzanian border.
The attack comes as government is failing to make a breakthrough in ending the brutal attacks which have made international headlines for two years now.
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