Police in Sembabule District have launched a full-scale manhunt for two men believed to be connected to the death of a 6-month-old boy who was reportedly found dead after being taken from his home during a night when his mother attended a local party.
The mother of the child, Dalia Nansubuga, is said to have left her infant in the care of a young man known only as Ttongire on the evening of Saturday, while she went to attend a night party at a nightclub located in Ntete Trading Centre, Sembabule District.
It is reported that when the mother failed to return in the early hours of Sunday morning, Ttongire entrusted the child to another youth, Yovaani Katongole, 25, with the assumption that she would return soon. However, when she did not, Katongole reportedly took the child to his own residence for the night.
At approximately dawn on Sunday, Dalia Nansubuga returned to her home in Ntete and was informed that her baby had been taken away by the said individuals. Accompanied by locals, she went in search of the child, only to find the baby’s body abandoned along the roadside, with Katongole reportedly seen fleeing the scene.
According to Emmanuel Kasekende, a concerned resident of Ntete, the community was left in shock and disbelief. “We saw the young man running away as the mother approached. The child was found abandoned and already dead,” he said.
Police investigations are currently underway. Preliminary findings indicate that both Ttongire (35), a resident of Ntete West, and Katongole, are on the run, and efforts to track them down are ongoing.
The body of the deceased infant was taken for postmortem examination to determine the cause of death. Authorities are also questioning the mother regarding the circumstances under which she left her child with unsupervised young men while attending a party.
Sembabule District Police Spokesperson has urged members of the public with any knowledge of the suspects’ whereabouts to provide information in confidence to help in their swift arrest.
The tragedy has sparked an emotional debate both locally and online about parental responsibility, child protection, and community vigilance.
More updates will follow as investigations progress.