A 25 year old student has confessed to being behind a spate of kidnaps and later demanding for money from the victims’ relatives in Kiboga district.
According to Racheal Kawala, the Wamala region police spokesperson, the suspect identified as Rashid Bukenya , a male nursing student at Lubaga Hospital Training School in Kampala but in holidays resides at Mulunga Village, Nakalama Parish, Nkandwa Subcounty in Kyankwanzi District was arrested during an intelligence-led operation caried out on Wednesday .
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to participating in two separate kidnappings, registered under case numbers KBG CRB 642/2024 and KBG CRB 629/2024, which occurred on October,5, 2024 and October, 12, 2024, respectively, in Kiboga Town,” Kawala said.
She explained that preliminary findings indicate that on October, 5 2024, in Saza, Kiboga Town, Kiboga District, an unknown person kidnapped a 4-year-old, the son of Nakalyango Fausta, from their home.
The kidnapper later demanded a ransom of shs1 million but was given shs300,000.
The kidnapper then directed the mother to the location where the victim had been abandoned. The child was recovered alive.”
In another similar case, on October,12, another unknown person kidnapped a three-year-old, the son of Jolly Kansiime, from the parents' home in Kiboga Town and demanded a ransom of shs1 million and when shs400,000 was deposited, the child was rescued.
“Since then, our task teams have been working tirelessly to ensure that the suspects are brought to justice. Both phone lines used to deposit the money have been recovered.”
Kawala said the suspect is currently being held at Kiboga Central Police Station (CPS) and is awaiting a court appearance.
She urged parents and guardians to remain alert and vigilant and to always monitor their children's movements.