Kabalagala Police have recovered a-month-old child stolen from Naguru hospital in Nakawa division, a Kampala city suburb after a month-long search.
Cosmas Baguma, a resident of Kikulu zone of Kisasi in Kawempe Division says that someone stole the baby from Christine Kisime on June 29, 2021, who was taken care of her because his wife, Rita Atukunda was still receiving treatment after experiencing labour complications.
He explained that the child thief who passed off as a nurse hoodwinked Kisime to hand her over the baby for a medical checkup and disappeared from the hospital with the help of her accomplices who were waiting outside the maternal ward.
“The hospital security guards were also hoodwinked that something wrong had happened in another wing of the hospital. So they left the gate, we do not know whether the guards were not part of this mission. However, we shall know that since they are also in police custody,” said Baguma.
He explains that they managed to recover the child from Melo Kisimath, a resident of Kerezia zone in Makindye Division on a tip-off from residents.
Charles Twine, the Spokesperson of the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID, says that the suspect confessed to the police during interrogation that she was looking for a baby for her boyfriend in South Sudan after suffering miscarriage.
“She managed to gain access to the baby by masquerading as a nurse and hoodwinked the baby’s caretaker. The baby has been handed over to the parents after a DNA examination to confirm the parentage,” said Twine.
Twine explains that most baby thieves mainly target public hospitals due to weak controls.
“The culprits usually target these government hospitals where there is no tight security. Others connive with some doctors and nurses to steal the babies. We want to call upon all public and private hospitals to tighten security especially in maternity wards because these cases are increasing gradually,” he said.
-URN
