The decomposing body of a 25-year-old man was discovered in his house with serious burns on Thursday afternoon at Milembe village in Mautuma location, Lugari Sub-county.
Mbagara Sub-location Assistant Chief, Joseline Juma, said the body of Nickson Barasa, who lived alone, was discovered after pupils of Mahiga Primary School who were heading back to school after lunch passed near the house and experienced a foul smell.
She said one of the pupils went to inform his mother who rushed to the deceased’s house and confirmed that the foul smell was emanating from the place. The woman then informed the family members and the local Administration.
Ms. Juma said the village elder from the neighboring Vilongo village, Mr. Joseph Bushuru, went to the scene where with the help of the local residents managed to break the door which had been locked from inside before they found the body with serious burns all over the face lying in one of the corners in the sitting room.
When they looked inside his bedroom, they discovered that everything was reduced into ashes apart from his steel bed.
It is suspected that the deceased who is a smoking drunkard might have returned while so drunk and lit a cigarette and either threw the match stick or the cigarette filter carelessly causing the fire that burnt him before he suffocated and died as he struggled in search of the door.
The body was later removed by police officers from Turbo and taken to Chebaiywa mortuary as investigations into the incident launched.
By Sammy Mwibanda
