Ms Josephine Birungi, a resident of Najeera II, holds a photo of her granddaughter Aisha Ndagire who has allegedly been missing for three weeks. PHOTO/ GEOFREYMUTUMBA
An air of mystery has engulfed Najjera II on the outskirts of Kampala City for the past two weeks, with four teenagers reported missing, and one of them found dead. Najjera lies some 12 kilometres northeast of the central business district of Kampala.
Reports show that Aisha Ndagire, 16, Susan Ngongo, 15, and two boys whose identities were not disclosed by press time, disappeared separately over the last two weeks. The lifeless body of one of the male teenager was discovered in Kisenyi, also another suburb south-west of Kampala City centre, two days after his disappearance.
Traders in the area reportedly alerted the nearby police about the tragedy before his body was taken to the city mortuary. In Najjera II last evening, the local authorities and the area police told this publication that they had recorded only two cases of disappearances. They said the second case was reported from Kyanja, which neighbours Najjera II, but the teenager was recovered and reunited with his parents.
Ms Pauline Amulen, the officer in charge of Najjera Police Station, told Daily Monitor that they have commenced investigations into the cases and are closely following the other cases that have only come to their attention through the different social media platforms.
"The only reported case of a missing teenager is of Aisha Ndagire that was reported by the relatives two weeks back and we are investigating. The others we have only seen on social media and are following up. So when we get good information about them, we shall make a formal statement,” Ms Amulen said yesterday during an interview.
“I posted her picture on [our] security forum with the contacts they can call. After only two days, the girl was recovered at Kira Road Police station," she said.
The 2024 police annual crime report cited an increase in the number of disappearances and kidnappings, with 245 cases compared to 219 cases that were reported in 2023. An interview with the parents of the two missing girls yielded different accounts of the last hours they had either seen or heard from the teenage girls. Ms Daizy Obiru, the mother of Susan Ngongo, recounts that her daughter left home on Sunday evening after she sent her to buy bananas at around 6pm but never returned.
“I am pleading with everyone to help find my daughter. On the first two days, her phone was reachable, but later, it went off. We kept trying to call her, but there has been no response. We are still waiting and hoping for any news,” Ms Obiru said between sobs.
Upon her daughter’s disappearance, Ms Obiru rushed and reported to Ms Sanifa Mirembe, the area Local Council (LCI) area chairperson of Bulabira, Najjera II, who advised her to report the matter to the area police. Ms Mirembe said Ms Obiru had reported the case involving her missing daughter, Susan Ngongo.
“She stopped attending school last year in Senior Two and refused to go back. When her parents suggested that she enrols in a vocational institute, she declined. Upon realising that her parents were planning to take her back to school, she decided to disappear,” Ms Mirembe explained.
Ms Obiru said: “We have hired a private investigator to help with the search, and I will share any updates as soon as we receive information.”
In the second case of disappearance, the father of 16-year-old Ndaigre, who disappeared two weeks ago, told this publication in a telephone interview that he needs help in finding his missing daughter.
Aisha Ndagire (L) and Susan Ngongo (R)
He said Ndagire had dropped out of school in Primary Six and had since refused to return to school. The relatives of Ndagire say she mysteriously disappeared from home as she indicated she had gone to get a cellular phone from her boyfriend but never returned.
“I am pleading with everyone to help find my daughter. During the first two days, her phone was reachable, but later, it went off. We kept trying to call her, but there has been no response. We are still waiting and hoping for any news,” he narrated.
Ms Josephine Birungi, one of the relatives of Ndagire, said she picked her up from her parents on December 30, and had spent only two months together after getting her on the orders of her mother giving reports that her daughter was unruly. That fateful day, Ms Birungi says Ndagire left her phone behind and told her colleagues that she had gone to pick up a smartphone from her boyfriend but she never returned.
Ms Mirembe said Ndagire’s mother left some telephone numbers of the people she suspected to have taken her daughter, but when she tried to call, the person on the other end insulted her (Ms Mirembe). She said the alternative number indicated could not be reached. Ms Mirembe also said she had advised Ndagire’s mother to avail pictures of both the missing person and the suspect to make a public poster but her request had not yet been honoured.
“According to my records, she (the daughter) disappeared on March 8, 2025 and at first, the mother believed she would return because she had a habit of leaving home and coming back. However, this time, she never returned. The last thing she mentioned before disappearing was that she was going to collect a phone from her boyfriend,” Ms Mirembe said.
Local residents that we spoke to for this story indicated that cases of missing children are becoming increasingly common in the area.
OTHER CASES
Information obtained from security WhatsApp groups indicate there are more cases of disappearances that have been reported apart from the four. The area police officer in charge shared some of the messages she has kept reporting.
“The child above, David Muhanguzu, a resident of Bulabira Kalitunsi, is lost. He does not speak well because of some mental illness. Today, he wanted to go to church and his parents allowed him as he always goes and comes back, but today he didn’t return. The church members also didn’t see him, therefore, whoever sees him; kindly inform us on telephone number 0782742227. The case of disappearance has been registered at Najjera. The father is called John Ogete Mukisa on tel. 0702493930, read a message shared by Ms Amulen about a case reported last Sunday.
“Adrian Mukisa Lujja, a seven-year-old from Kisasi got lost yesterday from election rallies from Kisasi Dungu Zone. He was last seen in Kungu at around 0600hrs. A case of disappearance was registered at Kikaya Police Station. Whoever sees him, inform Madam Namakyla Ephrance, the grandmother, on telephone number 0772555023, or me on telephone number 0782742227,” read another message from Ms Amulen.
