A grim discovery in a swamp and a desperate report of a missing child have become the focal points of parallel police investigations, leaving a family in a state of suspended grief and a community seeking answers.
The story begins with a mother’s worst fear. On 6th November 2025, Kamuganga Sarah walked into the Wandegeya Police Station to report that her daughter, Aneza Merisa, was missing. The case of the missing juvenile was logged, launching a search for the young girl.
Four days later and miles away, on 10th November, a chilling discovery was made in Musaale Swamp, Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Subcounty. Police from Nagalama Police Station recovered a decomposing body. The only immediate clue to the victim's identity was the clothing: a navy-blue student skirt bearing the label “Nanyonga VII,” suggesting the deceased was a schoolgirl. Police have since been scouring records of nearby schools, trying to match the uniform to a missing learner.
Due to the body’s advanced state of decomposition, mortuary staff in Kayunga made the decision to conduct a burial in a local cemetery.
It was this public revelation of the discovery that created a heartbreaking link between the two separate incidents. When Kamuganga Sarah and her family learnt of the body found in Nagalama, their hope twisted into dread. They immediately feared the worst—that the remains could be those of their missing Aneza Merisa.
However, a definitive identification has been impossible. The parents have not been able to view the body, leaving them in an agonizing limbo.
“We appeal to the general public to remain calm as investigations have not yet established any link between the missing juvenile and the body recovered in Nagalama,” a police statement issued by Assistant Superintendent of Police Luke Owoyesigire reads.
In a critical step towards finding the truth, investigators have now taken legal action. They have applied for a court order to authorize the exhumation of the body buried in Kayunga. Once approved, samples will be extracted for a DNA analysis, which will provide scientific confirmation of whether the remains are those of the missing Aneza Merisa.
For now, a mother waits, trapped between hope and despair, as the wheels of justice turn slowly towards a truth that will forever change her world. The police have assured the public that further updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.
