Police in western Uganda have arrested a 42-year-old man accused of having sexual relations with his teenage daughter, in a rare case of alleged incest that has sparked outrage in the local community.

Hosea Bikoba, a resident of Mumbuzi Cell in Kasese Municipality, was detained on Friday after police received a tip-off from a concerned resident. Officers found him with his daughter at a hotel in Kasese Town, said SP Nelson Tumushiime, the Rwenzori East Regional Police spokesperson.

“Incest is a very rare case here. We do not know whether such incidents go unreported or if they simply don’t happen often,” Tumushiime told journalists, adding that the region typically records only one or two such cases a year.

Police say Bikoba was seen with the girl at Trans-Africa Gardens, an eatery they had allegedly been frequenting. Investigators have launched a probe, including a medical examination of the girl, who is a Primary Seven pupil.

Jafali Kigutia, chairperson of Basecamp Lower Cell and the girl’s school PTA head, said he grew suspicious after seeing them together on August 6.

“I first thought the girl had come to pay school fees, but when I observed their sitting posture, I sensed something was wrong,” he said.

“When I questioned him, he openly said the girl was helping him ‘forget the loneliness’ after his divorce,” he added.

Kigutia said he learned the girl had been absent from school for two weeks. When he spotted the pair again on August 8, “eating pork and drinking together,” he alerted police.

A worker at Trans-Africa Gardens, speaking on condition of anonymity, said staff had noticed the man often arrived with drinks, including beer, and stayed late into the evening. “We couldn’t keep quiet after observing such behaviour,” she said.

The girl’s maternal uncle, Hannington Muhindo Kibogho, has demanded justice. A local rights group, Kasese Youth Link for Development, said its lawyers would follow the case to its conclusion.

“It is becoming too much in Kasese…domestic violence, defilement, and now incest. My prayer is that we all take responsibility to sensitise our communities and always report such cases to the authorities,” said the group’s executive director, Ronald Kato.

Police have also arrested two other men in separate defilement cases; Ashraf Bwabojo, accused of simple defilement, and 18-year-old David Atuhairwe, accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. Both are in custody awaiting trial.

Tumushiime urged parents to safeguard their children and encouraged minors to report abuse.

“If they fear approaching us directly, they should talk to local leaders, elders, or any trusted authority,” he said.