Family seeks answers after missing daughter found dead, lover arrested
Police are holding a 49-year-old suspected lover of the late Ruth Kay Arao who went missing on November 21, and her body was found dumped in a bush in Bukasa. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The victim’s family shared that after completing her undergraduate studies, Arao left the home of her elder brother, Benson Amwata, who had raised and supported her throughout her education, to live with Oboth in Janda, Kira Municipality.
Ruth Kay Arao, 27, the youngest of seven children, had a promising future after graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Procurement from Kyambogo University in 2021.
However, three years later, her family is left searching for answers after she went missing on November 22. Her body was found the following day, discarded in a bush near the railway line in Bukasa, a Kampala suburb.
Her alleged lover, Yonah Oboth, 49, has been arrested and is currently in custody at Kiira Division Headquarters under SD Ref: CRB 363/2024. Oboth, however, denies any involvement in her death.
Police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke did not respond to attempts to contact him for comment. However, a detective familiar with the case confirmed that the suspect remains in custody. “I am on suspect parade, but the suspect is still in custody,” the detective said on Monday, requesting anonymity to avoid reprisal from his superiors.
When asked when Oboth would be arraigned in court, the detective replied, “It will take time.”
The victim’s family shared that after completing her undergraduate studies, Arao left the home of her elder brother, Benson Amwata, who had raised and supported her throughout her education, to live with Oboth in Janda, Kira Municipality. According to the family, the couple’s relationship had become toxic, and Arao had planned to move out and start anew at a residence in Kireka on December 1, using savings from her job at a company in the Luzira area of Kampala.
The family also expressed concerns about the 22-year age difference between Arao and Oboth, and questioned his employment status. "He has no clear work profile and deceived Ruth by claiming to be a contractor with the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM)," a family member said.
A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, added, “I’ve heard that even when he’s at a bar, his beer is served to him in his car, and he’s always carrying a pistol. He’s either a criminal or a spy.”
Arao’s brother, Amwata, recalled the last conversation with his sister: “My niece last spoke to Ruth on November 21. She went missing on November 22, and when the same niece tried calling her on November 23, her phone was unreachable.”
Tuhimbise Methodius, a former classmate at Kyambogo University, described Arao as “a humble girl,” as did David Nkubbi, another alumnus, who expressed that he will miss her.
After the body was found dumped in a bush in Bukasa, a Kampala suburb, police picked it up and authorities buried it in the area cemetery.
The family would later struggle to get a court order to exhume the body, which was later granted before the body was taken to Bung Village, Ayabi Sub-county in Kwania District for burial on Saturday. She leaves behind a two-year-old son.
