Police in Kiboga District, central Uganda, have arrested a 42-year-old traditional healer following the discovery of an 11-year-old pupil who was found dead after leaving her home to sell boiled maize at night.
On Thursday, police reported that parts of Oliver Namanda’s body, a pupil at Fairway Nursery School and resident of Buzibwera cell in Kiboga District, were found by a boy sent to gather grass for animals on land owned by Sekandi in Kirurumba cell.
“Preliminary findings indicate that on June 10, 2024, at about 10 pm, the victim left home to Kiboga town vending boiled fresh maize dressed up in a yellow T-shirt and black skirt and from then did not return home. The case was reported to police on June 11 and search efforts immediately started.”
“On June 12, 2024, at around 11:30 am body parts of Namanda were seen by a young boy who had gone to collect some grass for animals in kibanja (piece of land) of Mr Sekandi in Kirurumba cell and informed the parents. We were later informed about the incident by LC1 of the area and immediately our task team led by DPC Kiboga responded to the scene of crime,” said Wamala region police spokesperson, Rachael Kawala.
Police said internal organs such as the lungs and heart, among others, were found missing from the girl’s body.
“The abdomen was cut off from the legs and taken away. However, the two legs were all abandoned at the crime scene. The body parts have been recovered and taken to Kiboga Hospital mortuary pending postmortem. Exhibits including a knicker, and black skirt suspected to be for the deceased have been recovered,” she said.
A police canine led detectives to a shrine in Kirurumba cell owned by Madinah Nakyeyune. She was arrested and is currently detained at Kiboga Police Station as investigations continue.
“Search efforts are on to recover missing body parts. Our task teams are doing all it takes to have more suspects arrested and brought to justice. We urge parents to be cautious about their children’s safety in and outside the home,” Ms Kawala said.
This incident follows just two months after the beheading of two young siblings in the same district in a suspected ritual sacrifice.
Five-year-old Easter Nakasumba and her two-year-old sister, Sylvia Nantongo, went missing on April 3, 2024, after their parents, who had taken them to their farm, asked them to return home for lunch.
Their mutilated bodies were later found near a brick-laying site.