Mukono District | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Police in Mukono have apprehended six individuals as part of the investigation into the tragic kidnapping and murder of a five-year-old girl.

Last week, Hope Biyinzika mysteriously vanished after returning home from Skylac Junior School in Namaliri trading centre, Kasawo sub-county. Her father, Vincent Kikomba, noted that nobody was home when she arrived and changed out of her school uniform.

As Hope remained missing, her family reached out to neighbors and filed a missing person’s report with the police. A day later, an unidentified man contacted Kikomba, demanding a ransom of Shs5 million. After negotiations, the ransom amount was lowered to Shs2.6 million.

The community rallied together and raised Shs1 million, which was promptly sent to the kidnappers. However, the kidnappers set a three-day deadline to pay the remaining Shs1.6 million, threatening harm to the child if their demand wasn’t met. Tragically, contact was lost after the deadline, and on Friday, Hope’s decomposing body was discovered in a neighbor’s pit latrine.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga revealed that investigations indicate Hope was abducted while alone after school. The ransom calls and the discovery of her body confirm that this was indeed a kidnapping that took a devastating turn. Law enforcement teams exhumed the body and documented another potential crime scene in a nearby sorghum garden suspected to be the place of the murder.

“This is an unfortunate incident targeting an innocent child,” remarked Enanga. Six suspects have been taken into custody, identified as Fred Kayemba, Walugembe Fred, Allan Ssenkuba, Ben Kiyingi, Emmanuel Katongole, and Fatuma Nansubuga. The suspected mastermind remains at large, and the police are determined to bring all those involved to justice.

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