By Faith Kwagala,
Uganda – A three-year-old girl and her four-year-old brother burned to death on Thursday evening after a lit lamp set their house on fire in Kole District, northern Uganda.The children, Melissa Amule and Innocent Kizza, had been left sleeping by their mother, Ms Racheal Ajok, who went out to buy food for supper around 8pm. Neighbours were not nearby when the fire started, police said.North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson SP Jimmy Patrick Okema said the remains were recovered and handed over to relatives. Arson has not been ruled out.The tragedy highlights Uganda’s severe electricity gap. According to the 2024 census, only 1,335 of 64,375 households in Kole have grid access. Most rely on kerosene lamps and candles.“We appeal to communities to acquire solar lights,” Okema said, warning that local lamps put lives at risk, a resident.