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 found on Sunday in Wakiso District after her abductors allegedly obtained ransom money from her family but killed her despite the payment.
According to police, the kidnappers used Babirye’s phone to demand Shs19 million from her relatives after she disappeared. Her family later reported her missing at Old Kampala Police Station.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that a joint security team tracked and arrested two key suspects in connection with the case.
“One of the suspects, upon interrogation, led police to the house of his accomplice in Kiteredde Village, Kakiri Town Council, Wakiso District,” ASP Owoyesigyire said.
He added that Babirye’s body was recovered from inside the suspect’s house.
“The body was found in a decomposing state inside the suspect’s house, wrapped in a mattress cover and tied with ropes,” ASP Owoyesigyire said.
Investigators also found a freshly dug grave in the compound. Police suspect it had been prepared to conceal the body.
The scene was examined by forensic experts, and Babirye’s body was taken to the KCCA City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
“The motive behind the killing has not yet been established, and further inquiries are ongoing,” ASP Owoyesigyire said, adding that the suspects remain in custody.
Babirye’s killing has renewed concern over violent kidnappings for ransom in Kampala and surrounding areas. In recent years, criminal gangs have targeted women, businesspeople and other residents in the metropolitan area.
The case has drawn comparisons with previous high-profile abductions, including the 2018 Susan Magara case, in which victims were killed even after ransom payments were made.
Security experts have previously warned that some kidnapping syndicates kill victims after receiving money in an attempt to destroy evidence and avoid identification.
The incident has also raised fresh questions about the effectiveness of CCTV surveillance and phone-tracking systems in responding to abductions. In Babirye’s case, police used mobile intelligence to trace her phone to Wakiso, but the breakthrough came too late to save her life.
Joint security agencies have urged members of the public to remain alert and report suspicious activity in their communities as investigations continue.
