How 15-year-old student was defiled, murdered in lodge
Deceased: Sumaya Binti Edrisa, 15Deceased: Sumaya Binti Edrisa, 15
What you need to know:
- Mbale Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Ms Asumin Nasike, who is also the head of security in the city questioned how a 15-year-old schoolgirl could end up in a lodge, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations.
Police in Mbale City in Eastern Uganda are investigating the circumstances under which a 15-year-old student was reportedly defiled and strangled in a guesthouse.
Sumaya Binti Edrisa, a student at Nakaloke Secondary School in Mbale Northern City Division, was killed at Grace Guest House located in Gudoi Cell, Namakwekwe ward in Mbale Northern City Division along the Mbale-Soroti highway on Sunday, according to police.
“It is alleged that on March 23, 2025, at approximately 9 am, a receptionist named Peter Nabende, employed at Grace Guesthouse, arrived with a client only identified as Iman, who was seeking a room. Mr Nabende led Iman to the manager of the guesthouse, who then showed him various rooms. They first visited Room 10, but the suspect declined it, stating it was not suitable. Next, they went to Room 14, but again, the suspect rejected it, claiming it was too small. Finally, they showed him Room 11, which the suspect agreed to,” the Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, told this publication on Tuesday.
He said the suspect informed the manager of the guesthouse that his girlfriend would be arriving shortly. The girl, now deceased, arrived and entered the room.
Police said that at about 1 pm on Sunday, the receptionist, Nabende informed the manager that there was a dead body of a girl in room 11.
“When the manager of the guest house moved into the room, he saw a naked body lying on the bed. Shortly, the same client (suspect) called the manager using the 0745190064 number of the deceased, saying, "Go to room 11 and check your things,” Mr Taitika said, adding that the manager later informed the owner of the guest house, who reported the matter to Nkoma Police Station.
According to Taitika, the guest house manager has been detained on charges holding charge of negligence.
"Allowing a 15-year-old girl to enter a lodge with a man in exchange for money is unacceptable,” he said.
He stated that the motive of the murder is still a subject of police inquest.
“The crime scene was been examined and documented. The suspect is still at large,” he said, adding that the manhunt for the perpetrator is on.
Police said the body was found with both hands and neck tied on the bed using a mosquito net. The deceased's mobile phone was taken by the suspect and he used it to call her relatives.
Mbale Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Ms Asumin Nasike, who is also the head of security in the city questioned how a 15-year-old schoolgirl could end up in a lodge, emphasizing the need for stricter regulations.
"We are going to hold some of these guesthouses and bars accountable. This shows a level of irresponsibility that cannot be ignored," she said.
She decried the increasing insecurity in the city, adding that they would conduct joint security operations with the UPDF, police, and firing squad to restore calm.
Nakaloke Secondary School head teacher, Ms Masitula Nankya, said the deceased was a humble and brilliant student.
“It is true that she had been studying at Nakaloke. The news of her killing was deeply shocking to us. She was known to be very religious during her time at school. We were not aware that she had a boyfriend. We don’t know the motive for her murder,”Ms Nankya said.
This reporter learnt during Edrisa’s burial ceremony on Monday that she had been serving as the head of the Dawa Committee at the school.
This is not the first student to be killed in the city.
On July 13, 2023, an 18-year-old senior two student of Nakaloke Secondary School was also killed, and her body dumped in a pond in Nandala A cell, Rock Ward, Mbale Northern City division. The deceased was identified as Salima Sanzitta.
Police data
According to the 2024 police crime report, a total of 4,329 cases (representing a 1.9 per cent of the total reported cases in the year) reported to Police by the end of 2024 were due to homicides, compared to 4,248 cases reported in 2023, giving a 1.9 per cent increase in Homicide cases registered countrywide.
