Three arrested purchasing baby for suspected South Sudanese trafficker

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Special Investigations Unit-SIU Kireka is holding three suspects on allegations of attempting to buy a two-month-old baby for a suspected South Sudanese trafficker in Kampala.

The suspects are Gerald Akankwasa, a Wakiso based medical doctor, Kenneth Kayondo and Christine Nambi. Police detectives picked up the trio from Royale Motel in the City suburbs of Nalukolongo. Upon interrogations, the suspects revealed to police that they were hired by a South Sudanese woman identified as Monica Akello.

One of the detectives told URN that they raided the motel on a tip-off by a neighbour to one of the suspects indicating that some people were looking for a child to buy at Shillings 20 Million from Nansana and other areas.

“After receiving this information, we worked with Make a Child Smile, a non governmental organization and laid a trap. We informed them that there was someone who had a child, so they met us at this hotel in Nalukolongo together with the parent’s child and pulled the money to pay that is how we arrested them,” the officer said.

Police also impounded two motor vehicles registration numbers UBG 443F and UBG 107D, which the suspects were using. They also recovered Shillings 64 million from the vehicle. The suspects informed police that they were buying the child for their client Akello who had spent two weeks in Buziga looking for a child to adapt.

However, Akello had fled from her apartments in Buziga by the time police arrived. “We’re still looking for this woman to establish exactly why she was buying a baby, but we suspect she could have either deceived someone of being pregnant for him or the child was meant for ritual sacrifices. She is still on the run but we shall get her,” the detective said.

Charles Twine, the Spokesperson of the Criminal Investigations Directorate has confirmed the arrest of the three suspects but declined to divulge more details, saying that investigations are still ongoing to apprehend more suspects.

This comes at a time when police and the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration control have doubled efforts to fight child trafficking that is on the rise. It’s estimated that close to 25 million people across the globe are trafficked every year.

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