Police in Ntungamo District have arrested three suspects in connection with the kidnapping and murder of two people, a case that has shocked the local community. Among the arrested is Innocent Namanya, a businessman who stands accused of orchestrating the murder of his one year old son, Elijah Ariho, and a woman named Mellon Ainembabazi.
The arrest comes after a disturbing series of events that stemmed from domestic violence and escalated into a brutal killing. Namanya, the biological father of the murdered child, allegedly planned the abduction and murder of his son with the help of Janepher Nuwahereza, his second wife, who is also an apostle at Healers Church Ministry in Karama. Another accomplice, a boda boda rider named Alex Mutesigensi, was allegedly involved in transporting the kidnappers.
Rwizi region Police spokesperson Samson Kasasira confirmed the arrests and provided more details about the chilling case. It all began on October 6, 2024, when Create Natukunda, the mother of the child, reported her son’s disappearance to Ntungamo Central Police Station. Natukunda, a resident of Kibingo Parish in Nyakyera Subcounty, said her son was taken during a church service at Kahaija Church of Nazaren in Akatojo, Nyakyera Town Council.
She informed police that a woman, whom she recognized but did not know personally, had taken her child to an unknown location. This prompted police to launch an investigation, which soon led to the revelation that the woman who took the child was 34-year-old Mellon Ainembabazi, hired by Namanya to carry out the abduction.
However, in an unexpected twist, Ainembabazi refused to follow through with the original plan. After kidnapping the child, she decided not to hand him over to the boda boda rider as instructed when she realized that the ultimate goal was to kill the boy. Instead, she took him to her home in Nyakishenyi, Rukungiri, in an effort to protect him.
Despite her defiance, Ainembabazi’s attempt to thwart the plan was short lived. Once Namanya and his accomplices discovered that Ainembabazi was not going to complete the murder, they devised a new plan to kill both Ainembabazi and the child. On October 7, 2024, Namanya, Nuwahereza, and Mutesigensi traveled to Ainembabazi’s home in a Toyota Premio. They took her and the child, driving them away in the vehicle. Inside the car, they murdered Ainembabazi and then stuffed her body into a sack, adding stones to weigh it down, before dumping it into the waters of Kanyehunde.
Unfortunately, they did not stop there. The suspects also killed young Elijah, tying his body with clothes and attaching a heavy stone before throwing him into the same waters where Ainembabazi’s body had been discarded.
On October 8, 2024, police retrieved both bodies from the water, confirming the tragic deaths. The community was left devastated, struggling to comprehend the senseless violence that claimed the life of an innocent child and the woman who had tried to save him.
The police have stated that the suspects will face charges of kidnapping and murder. The underlying motive for these brutal killings appears to be rooted in a long standing domestic dispute between Namanya and his estranged wife, Natukunda. The couple had been involved in a bitter conflict, which was already the subject of legal proceedings.
The double murder has sent shockwaves through the Ntungamo and Rukungiri districts, leaving residents in disbelief over the sheer brutality of the crime.
Key Suspects in Ntungamo Murder Case
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Innocent Namanya | Father of the victim, alleged mastermind |
| Janepher Nuwahereza | Namanya’s second wife, accomplice in abduction |
| Mellon Ainembabazi | Hired for kidnapping, later murdered |
| Alex Mutesigensi | Boda boda rider, involved in transportation |
