An 18-year-old woman is currently battling her life in the hospital after her intolerant and abusive husband chopped off her hand for criticising his sexual weakness.

The incident happened on Wednesday, October 24, 2019.

The wife, Ruth Imanishimwe, from Kagadi District in Western Uganda, was allegedly attacked by her 26-year-old husband, Emmanuel Nsegimana, after telling him ‘you're not satisfying me in bed’.

“When I complained about being ‘starved in bed’ he promised to take some traditional herbs to help him regain his prowess, but all in vain,” Imanishimwe told Uganda’s New Vision.

The victim says after Nsegimana failed to “rise to the occasion”, she left him and went to stay with her elder sister at Kafene Village in Burora Sub-County.

It is at the home of Imanishimwe’s sister where the suspect committed the crime before fleeing to an unknown destination, police said.

Kafene locality chairperson, Steven Mugisa, told New Vision that last week he received — from Imanishimwe — a complaint about Nsegimana’s “impotence”.

“I comforted her that I would see her husband and chart a way forward but before I intervened, she ran to her sister’s home; which annoyed her husband and he ended up cutting her; which is illegal and punishable,” Mugisa told the news outlet.

The victim, who was bleeding profusely following the attack, was rushed to Kagadi Hospital by Good Samaritans early Wednesday, Mugisa said.

“She was given emergency treatment and, thereafter, referred to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital,” said Mugisa.

Justine Kyakuha, a nurse in charge of the female ward at Kagadi Hospital, said the victim was referred to Hoima referral hospital due to lack of blood and other basic health facilities at Kagadi health facility.

“The victim’s health condition requires further management. She needs blood because she bled profusely and is very weak,” she said.

Kyakuha added that the victim’s left hand was completely cut off.

Burora Police boss, Gideon Bagoya, said Nsegimana will be charged with attempted murder once he is apprehended.

“We are hunting for him and whoever sees him should advise him to bring himself to police before being arrested or lynched by the mob,” Bagoya told New Vision.

Imanishimwe’s brother, Geoffrey Natukunda, said his sister hadn’t stayed for long with Nsegimana as husband and wife when the incident happened.

”They had just stayed together for a few days. The man convinced her that they would stay in peace since they were coming from the same region. Little did she know that the man was troublesome,” he said.

Natukunda says that his sister needs financial help, and appeals to well-wishers to assist them.