By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: A total of 27 Ugandans have been reported kidnapped and some murdered within the past four months, according to new police statistics. According to the police, eight kidnap cases were registered in January, while 19 cases were registered between February 22 to April 28, 2019.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says that “Some kidnap cases were actual while others were self-kidnaps. For instance two out of eight cases recorded in January and February were self kidnaps.” However, although many people have been kidnapped and gone unnoticed, the most publicized kidnap case involved US tourist Kimberly Sue Endecott and her Ugandan tour guide, Jean Paul Mirenge, who were kidnapped in Queen Elizabeth National Park on April 2, 2019.
Kimberly and Mirenge were released by their kidnappers after receiving ransom of Shs100m ransom, although they had demanded Shs1.8Bn. Another shocking case was that of IHK doctor Catherine Agaba, who was kidnapped and murdered by unknown people, before they stuffed her body in a septic tank at her rented place in Muyenga. Enanga warned the public against exposing their personal information on social media and public gatherings, saying it may end up being used by criminals to harm them. “Now children are coming back for holidays and parents need to be very careful. Avoid sharing information about your family and your individual information since it is sometimes used by criminals to know where you are,” Enanga said.
