The Police are concerned about the numerous incidents of baby and child thefts.
Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, says that the latest incidents recorded a few days ago happened in Soroti, Kabale, Ntungamo, Ngora, Kampala and Mbarara.
Enanga said the Soroti incident involved a 63-year-old woman, who befriended a mother who had just given birth at Soroti regional referral hospital. Police say Aketch varnished to Ngora district with the infant. However, police alerted its intelligence units that successfully tracked her down.
“She was arrested from Ngora at Kogwin village with the five days old baby. She was brought back to Soroti and the baby was reunited with the mother. She befriended the mother. Because of her age, the mother could not suspect her as a baby thief,” Enanga said.
18-year-old Anna Kyomugisha from Kabwohe in Sheema district was hoodwinked by a child predator who also befriended her at the hospital. Police say the child thief convinced Kyomugasho that her husband had locked her matrimonial home and requested to accommodate her for a night.
But in the night, the child predator sneaked out of the house with the baby. Police are yet to recover the six-day-old baby. Police have also recovered 18 months old baby, Joshua Ahumuza, who was stolen from Kabale district.
Ahumuza, according to police findings, was stolen by stepmother, Sylvia Ahimbisibwe, who later dumped him in the middle of a banana plantation in Ntungamo district where he was recovered by locals the next day but he had almost frozen because of the night colds.
“She dumped him in a banana plantation. The following morning the residents recovered the baby almost freezing. This was very harsh even if you are a stepmother. We have arrested her and she will be charged in court,” Enanga said.
In Kampala Metropolitan, a one and half-year-old baby was stolen last Sunday morning at Pastor Tom’s church. Police have arrested one of the church members who was captured on CCTV handing over the baby to another woman. But the suspect claims the stranger told her to give her the baby claiming she was hers.
Police have reminded mothers and caretakers to be more vigilant as it seems the vice of baby theft is picking up than ever before. The public has also been warned against sending toddlers to wait for school vans on the main roads without being accompanied by an adult.
Although tricks of child theft seem to be archaic and old-fashioned, many parents continue to fall, victim. The Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) report of 2020 shows 238 babies and children were stolen.
