By Jamillah Kemigisa
The Territorial Police in Kampala Metropolitan North have made a significant breakthrough in the case of a missing student after DNA analysis confirmed that the decomposing body recovered from Musaale Swamp in Kyampisi Subcounty is that of Aneza Merisa, a student at Naalya Secondary School, Lugazi Campus. What began as a disappearance has now officially escalated into a murder investigation.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson ASP Rachael Kawala, the case was first reported at Wandegeya Police Station on 6th November 2025 by the student’s mother, Kamuganga Sarah, after Aneza failed to return home. Police immediately opened a missing-person file and started tracing her movements.
Four days later, on 10th November 2025, residents of Namulaba Village in Kyampisi Subcounty discovered a decomposing female body in Musaale Swamp, an area under Nagalama Police Station. Detectives at the scene noted that the body was dressed in a navy-blue school skirt labeled “Nanyonga VII,” suggesting the victim was likely a student.
Due to the advanced decomposition, the body could not be visually identified. In line with public health procedures, the remains were later buried in Kayunga by mortuary staff.
As investigations into Aneza’s disappearance progressed, detectives developed leads indicating that the unidentified body could be hers. Police then applied for and obtained a court order to exhume the body for forensic analysis. DNA samples collected during the exhumation were sent to the Forensics Headquarters in Naguru for comparison with samples from the family.
The forensic report has now positively identified the body as that of Aneza Merisa, bringing a painful conclusion to her family’s search.
“With this confirmation, the case has been upgraded to a murder investigation,” ASP Kawala said. She added that detectives are now working to establish when and how Aneza was killed and how her body ended up dumped in the swamp.
Police have extended condolences to the family and assured the public of their commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice. Investigators are currently reconstructing the student’s last known movements, identifying possible suspects, and examining the circumstances surrounding her death.
After the completion of forensic procedures, the body was formally handed over to the family for burial on Saturday, offering some closure but leaving behind many unanswered questions.
Police have appealed to the public to provide any information that may assist in solving the murder of Aneza Merisa as the investigation intensifies.
Uganda has recently recorded several cases of missing persons, many of them juveniles. Similar incidents across the central region have exposed patterns of sexual violence, abductions, and murders linked to domestic disputes, criminal gangs, and opportunistic attacks. The killing of Aneza Merisa has renewed public concern over the safety of school-going children, especially girls, and has amplified calls for stronger community vigilance, quicker reporting mechanisms, and enhanced protection for minors.
