On December 26, 2024, a five-year-old girl, Mable Uwase, unfortunately died after being struck by a falling eucalyptus tree.

The horrible incident occurred in Kanyampiko Cell, Bunagana Parish, when Congolese loggers were felling trees as part of a deal involving local landowner Samson Busekuro.

Busekuro had sold seven eucalyptus trees to Desire, a Congolese national, for 355,000 Ugandan shillings three days before to the horrific occurrence.

Desire and his crew of workers arrived on the day of the tragedy to cut down the trees with a chainsaw. The loud sound of the saw grabbed the attention of local children, including Uwase, who gathered to see the drama unfold.

Tragically, one of the eucalyptus trees crashed right on Uwase, crushing her and killing her instantly. Witnesses, including young children, yelled in terror, attracting attention to the horrific spectacle.

In the following turmoil, Desire and his crew fled the site, carrying the power saw and leaving behind the fallen tree and the young girl's lifeless body.

Police were notified of the occurrence, and police from the Kigezi Region went to the scene to collect evidence. Elly Maate, a spokesman for Kigezi Police, confirmed the tragedy and stated that a postmortem examination was performed on Uwase's remains. Her remains were turned over to her parents for burial.

"Police are presently investigating the event. We're investigating into the negligence and recklessness involved, particularly the inability to safeguard the area during the tree cutting procedure," Maate said.