Two arrested over stealing newborn baby from Masaka hospital

Police in Masaka City are holding two women for stealing a newborn baby from Masaka Regional Referral Hospital.

Ms Charity Mbabazi, the mother of the baby, said that two women unknown to her, started befriending her upon arrival at the maternity ward on January 12, 2024.

Shortly after delivery, she was welcomed by the friendly smile of another ‘mother’ Aisha Naluyange (one of the suspects), who briefed her that she had too delivered a baby but that hers had been referred to the intensive care unit after developing a breathing complication.

“When I asked her about how she breastfeeds her baby, Naluyange said that the Nurses call her to breastfeed when the baby wants to breastfeed,” she said.

Ms Mbabazi further narrates that when her husband came to check on her, he was advised to get clothes for the baby, it’s at that point that Naluyange advised both of them to go together to choose the best clothes, leaving her with their baby.

“When we came back to the ward, our baby was missing. But Naluyange was at the ward and explained that the baby had been taken to the incubator after developing a complication. When we went to the incubator room, our baby was missing. This is when we made an alarm and the search for the missing baby began,” Mbabazi narrates.

It is reported that Naluyange had connived with Zainab Assimwe (another suspect), to move the baby outside the hospital.

Fortunately, Asiimwe was blocked by the security at the gate for lack of the discharge form, leading to their arrest.

Mr Richard Tusingwire, the Officer in charge of Criminal Investigations at Masaka Central Police on Saturday confirmed the arrest of Ms Zainab Asiimwe and Aisha Naluyange to help with the investigations.

“They are currently with us as the investigations into the matter continue. And when we are done we shall take them to court to answer charges of theft and trafficking in children,” he said on Monday.

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