news 6 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Carbon Monoxide from Charcoal Stove Suspected in Luweero Farmers' Deaths
Two farmers died and one survived carbon monoxide poisoning in a Luweero farm tent after using a charcoal stove overnight without ventilation. Experts warn against such practices in enclosed spaces to prevent suffocation. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-linked-to-farmer-deaths-in-luweero-5414518
In Kibiike Village, Butuntumula Sub-county, Luweero District, residents discovered two bodies inside a temporary farm shelter on April 1, 2026. The deceased were Richard Sobya, 36, and Grace Nalubwama, 43, from Kyambogo Village.
A third person, Ruth Nabadda, survived after crawling out in distress and was rushed to Butuntumula Health Centre III. She reported waking up to alert the others, but they did not respond.
Savannah Regional Police spokesperson Sam Twineamazima confirmed a sudden death case, with preliminary findings pointing to suffocation from a charcoal stove lit inside the tent overnight. The victims had camped there to tend their three-acre garden.
Local farmer Samuel Ssembajwe noted that such temporary tents are common for those working distant plots, often using stoves for warmth.
Dr. Charles Peter Halango, a community health expert, explained that carbon monoxide from incomplete charcoal combustion displaces oxygen in the blood, causing fatal suffocation in poorly ventilated areas. He advised using stoves only in open spaces.
This incident echoes past tragedies, including two children suffocating in a Kakumiro refrigerator earlier this year and six family members dying in a Nakasongola tent in 2021 from similar causes.
Police investigations continue, with authorities urging caution against enclosed charcoal use.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)