Three-year-old girl murdered after suspected ransom demand fails in Busia

What the report says

Police in Busia district, eastern Uganda, are investigating the killing of a three-year-old girl after what investigators say began as a suspected kidnapping and ransom demand. The Independent Uganda, citing URN, reported that one suspect, Muhwana Lawrance, is in custody while another man, Edrine Bwire, both residents of Bubolwa village in Bulumbi sub-county, is being sought.

According to the report, the child, Evelyn Nabwire, disappeared on 24 September 2026 in Bubolwa village. Her father, David Ouma, said the family later received phone calls demanding money, with the amount reportedly rising from sh2 million to sh7 million before he went to police. He said the child’s body was later found along the Busia-Jinja highway in Bulumbi.

Police said the body had multiple injuries, including cuts and bruises, and described the case as a suspected child kidnapping and murder. Bukedi South police spokesperson Moses Johnson Mugwe said officers had launched a manhunt for the second suspect and urged anyone with information to contact police. The body was taken to Masafu General Hospital mortuary as investigations continued.

The case has drawn attention to child safety and kidnapping risks in the area. More broadly, ransom-related abductions are a serious crime in many parts of the region, and police appeals for public vigilance are a common response in such cases.