Police further disclosed that on 3 May, after receiving sh40,000 from Kibira’s mother, the suspect released the child and abandoned him in Kalerwe at approximately 11:00 PM.
Police in Kampala have arrested a man believed to be behind a string of child abductions across the city, marking a significant breakthrough in recent kidnapping cases involving young children.
According to police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma, the suspect, identified as Odongo Isaac, was apprehended following an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Flying Squad on 2 May 2026. The operation targeted multiple kidnapping cases involving three juvenile boys reported under separate case files in Old Kampala and Wandegeya.
The victims—Kasirye Ethan (5), Kalenzi Joram Yosam (6), and Kibira Ramathan (5)—were abducted from different areas, including Kasubi Zone 1, Nankulabye Zone 7 in Makerere Division, and parts of Kawempe Division.
Police say the suspect was tracked using advanced policing technology and arrested on 4 May 2026 at around 6:00 PM in Nankulabye Zone 7.
During interrogation, Odongo reportedly confessed to abducting the three children on separate occasions between 28 April and 2 May. He is said to have demanded ransom payments from their families.
Investigators revealed that Kalenzi Joram was abducted on 28 April from Kasubi and later abandoned in Njeru, near Jinja Bridge, after no ransom was paid. On 30 April, Kasirye Ethan was kidnapped from Nankulabye and taken as far as Lira. The suspect then returned to Kampala, where he abducted Kibira Ramathan on 2 May from Makerere and held him while demanding ransom.
Police further disclosed that on 3 May, after receiving sh40,000 from Kibira’s mother, the suspect released the child and abandoned him in Kalerwe at approximately 11:00 PM.
Two of the victims—Kalenzi Joram and Kibira Ramathan—have since been safely recovered from Njeru and Kalerwe, respectively. Meanwhile, authorities in Lira City West have confirmed that Kasirye Ethan was abandoned there, and arrangements are underway to facilitate his safe return to Kampala.
Police say investigations are ongoing as they work to establish whether the suspect may be linked to additional cases.
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