Police have recovered the decomposing body of a 52-year-old woman who was kidnapped from her home in Kigowa, Ntinda, a Kampala suburb, last Thursday.
The deceased, identified as Lydia Babirye, was discovered on Sunday in Wakiso District after her abductors successfully extracted a ransom from her family but killed her anyway.
Following her disappearance, the kidnappers used Babirye’s phone to demand a Shs19 million ransom, prompting the family to file a missing person’s report at Old Kampala Police Station.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed that a joint security team tracked down and arrested two key suspects.
In a chilling twist, investigators also discovered a freshly dug grave within the compound, which suspects allegedly intended to use to conceal the body.
The scene was processed by forensic experts, and the body was transferred to the KCCA City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
Babirye’s brutal murder highlights a disturbing resurgence of violent kidnappings for ransom targeting Kampala residents.
Over the last few years, metropolitan Kampala has witnessed a fragile security situation marked by criminal gangs targeting women and business owners.
This tragic incident mirrors the infamous 2018 Susan Magara case and several recent high-profile abductions where victims were killed despite their families paying the demanded ransoms.
Security experts have previously warned that these syndicates often eliminate victims to destroy evidence and avoid identification, even after receiving financial pay-outs.
Public anxiety has been mounting over the efficiency of the country’s CCTV surveillance network and phone-tracking systems.
While police successfully used mobile intelligence to track Babirye’s phone to Wakiso, the breakthrough came too late to save her life.
With investigations ongoing, joint security agencies have urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements within their residential areas immediately.