By Aggrey Twesigye
Police in Mbarara district, together with sister security agencies, have rescued a nurse working at Kashongi Health centre III in Kiruhura district and her 14-year-old son, four days after they were allegedly abducted by unidentified assailants who demanded a ransom of UGX 10M from their relatives for their release.
The victims were identified as Agiripina Atwiine, 50, and her son, Ndowoza Ssekatawa.
According to police, the pair went missing on May 11, 2026, after leaving their home in Ihanika cell, Nyanja ward, Bukiiro town council in Mbarara district at around 7:30pm.
They were reportedly travelling to Kashongi Health Centre III, where Atwiine works..
Police reports indicate that the mother and son boarded unknown vehicle at Rutooma Trading centre heading to Kashongi in Kiruhura district.
However, concern arose later that night when Atwiine’s husband, Gwoloba Ssekatawa, 52, attempted to contact her between 9pm and 10pm to confirm whether they had arrived safely, only to find her phone switched off.
Suspicion deepened the following morning, May 12, when Atwiine reportedly contacted her biological father, Aaron Byesigwoha, at around 9am informing him that she and her son had been abducted by unknown people who had tied them to a tree in a bush at an unknown location.
She further revealed that the kidnappers were demanding a ransom of UGX.10 million for their release.
Following the report, police registered a kidnap case at Bwizibwera Police Station under CRB 277/2026, prompting an intensive search operation led by the Flying Squad Unit in the Rwizi Region.
Police reported that Thursday morning after four days of intensive searching the flying squad rescued victims from a farm in Kyarwabuganda cell mbarara city north division where they were found tied to a tree with minor injuries and that the woman had been sexually assaulted
Authorities have since launched a manhunt for the unidentified suspects behind the kidnapping as investigations continue
