(Kampala) – When love turns sour, some people drown their sorrows in a bottle of Uganda Waragi or embark on a boda boda ride to nowhere, but for Joseph Ssekyanzi, a resident of Kawempe Division, heartbreak led him down a path only the bold—or the foolish—would dare tread.
In a plot twist straight out of a Nigerian movie, Ssekyanzi decided that the best way to handle a breakup with his girlfriend, Desire Tamale, was to kidnap their four year old daughter and demand a cool 50 million shillings in ransom.
It all started on August 26, when little Angel—let’s call her that because, well, she is innocent in this mess—went missing. Her mother, Tamale, probably thought the worst at first, perhaps fearing the notorious Kampala traffic had swallowed her child. But no, the culprit was much closer to home.
Fast forward to Monday, September 2, and the Kampala Metropolitan Police confirmed what many had suspected but dared not say out loud—Ssekyanzi had taken his own flesh and blood as leverage. Yes, you heard that right. The man couldn’t handle losing his relationship, so he decided to play a twisted game of hide and seek with his daughter, demanding a hefty sum as if he were dealing with a stranger.
Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, visibly baffled by the crime, summed up the public sentiment in one line: “Imagine kidnapping your own daughter just because you separated from the mother and demanding a ransom.” It’s the kind of scenario that makes one wonder if Ssekyanzi missed a few too many lessons in the School of Life—specifically, the class on how not to be a complete villain.
By some miracle—or perhaps just good old police work—Angel was found unharmed, her bright future still intact despite her father’s best attempts to mess it up. The little girl has since been reunited with her mother, and one can only imagine the sigh of relief from Tamale when she saw her daughter again. It’s the kind of joy that’s hard to put into words, much like trying to explain why a father would kidnap his own child.
As for Ssekyanzi, he’s now a man on the run, dodging the long arm of the law like a rabbit fleeing a hungry predator. The police are hot on his heels, determined to bring him to justice, and Owoyesigyire used the opportunity to remind the public that kidnapping, even in the name of love lost, carries severe legal consequences.
This case serves as a cautionary reminder that while matters of the heart can be complex, turning to crime is never the answer. Whether it’s a jilted lover or a bitter breakup, some things are better handled with a calm mind and a bit of perspective. Because let’s be honest, kidnapping your own child to make a point is a move best left in the pages of bad fiction, not real life.
