Woman Arrested Over Child Theft

Police in Mukono has arrested a 19-year-old woman in connection with the theft of a 10-month-old baby that was allegedly stolen from the mother in Kikoza Village in Mukono District.

A frantic search for the baby proved futile as the said house maid who had taken the baby was nowhere to be found.

The victim's mother Olivia Nakabuye reported the incident at police that her child had gone missing and taken by her maid who has just worked for three days at the homestead.

After a week of searching, the suspect identified as Olivia Nandoyi was tracked and found in possession of the baby in Rwakaka at the International border with Kenya and child reunited with parents.

She was arrested and is currently in police cells at Mukono Police Station awaiting to appear in court.

This case of baby stealing incident comes after a similar case was reported at Mukono Police where a house maid identified as Babirye Nakilya stole the master’s baby on the April 4, 2018. She was later arrested, child reunited with parents and suspect remanded.

Crimes committed by domestic maids out of revenge are becoming a cause of concern for local authorities.

According to police records, maids who come from different cultural backgrounds commit various crimes including theft, assault and other unpalatable activities as revenge for the ill treatment meted out to them by their employers.

However Dr. Fred Yiga, the Police Director Interpol and Peace Support Operations while speaking at the regional police meeting at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort months back urged Ugandans who intend to secure the services of house maids, or home workers, to approach the directorate to do a thorough criminal screening on them.

This is aimed at ensuring that households are kept in the know of what criminal records the maids they plan to employ have, reduces risks of trusting one’s home and children with maids whose backgrounds they hardly know. The services according to the AIGP Yiga are available at a fee of between 50,000 and 60,000 Shillings.

Uganda Police has a criminal database which entails fingerprints of every person that has ever been held as a suspect or criminally charged by police across the country so once a person brings the intended employees for vetting, police crosschecks with their database and advises the employer accordingly.