Ugandan police say a man has been arrested in connection with the suspected kidnapping and killing of a three-year-old girl in Busia district, in a case that is reported to have involved a ransom demand.
According to police accounts, the child went missing in late September while reportedly playing near a family home in Bubolwa village, Bulumbi sub-county. Her relatives say they subsequently received phone calls demanding money for her safe return, with the amount reportedly rising over the following day as the family scrambled to raise funds.
The child’s body was later discovered along the Jinja Highway. Preliminary findings are said to point to signs of violence, according to investigators who are treating the case as a suspected murder.
The suspect, identified by police as Edrine Bwire, was arrested this week in neighbouring Namayingo district, following what officers describe as a coordinated effort between local police units and community members who assisted with tracing his movements.
Bukedi South regional police spokesperson IP Moses Johnson Mugwe confirmed the arrest, saying investigations were continuing and appealing for calm as officers worked “towards securing justice” for the victim and her family. He said further details, including the suspect’s exact relationship to the family and the full circumstances of the abduction, would be released as the probe progresses.
The case has shaken the close-knit Busia community, where residents have described the victim as a bright, playful child well known in the neighbourhood. Busia, which straddles the Uganda-Kenya border, has in the past been the site of several cross-border trafficking and abduction cases, prompting calls from local leaders for stronger coordination between security agencies on both sides.
Child welfare advocates in Uganda have in recent years flagged gaps in community-level protection systems, particularly in border districts where movement across the frontier can complicate investigations into missing children.
Police have urged anyone with further information to come forward. The suspect is expected to appear in court once investigations are complete.
The Post will continue to follow developments in this case as they emerge.