Kireka family lose hope after a month’s search of their missing child

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The family of Scola Tumwebabaze, a resident of Kireka B in Kira municipality in Wakiso district is spending sleepless nights following the disappearance of their grandson Lucky Batuma under unclear circumstances last month.

With tears rolling down her cheeks, the 60-year-old Tumwebabaze narrated to Uganda Radio Network-URN the mental torture she has been going through since February 8th, 2021 when her only 12-year-old grandson went missing.

According to Tumwebabaze, on that day, she left the minor in the house watching television and took her car to the nearby washing bay for cleaning as usual. Tumwebabaze says that she returned home in a space of fewer than 30 minutes only to find her grandchild missing.

She explains that they searched everywhere even using public address systems in Kireka, Kasokoso and Kiganda among other areas but didn’t succeed forcing them to file a case of a missing person at Kireka police station.

“We called relatives we thought he could be, but none of them knows his whereabouts, we have been putting on his missing posts on roads in this area, but unfortunately, people with bad heart keep defacing those posts,” Sicola said.

Batuma’s uncle Julian Nuwagaba says at first, they suspected that it was a case of kidnap and expected the kidnapper to call them for ransom but none has called which is causing more worries to them.

According to Nuwagaba, they fear that the child could have been sacrificed by witch-doctors.

The Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said they have shared the pictures of the missing child with all territorial police divisions across the country to help in the search.

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URN