Police at Jinja Road in Kampala have detained Jolin Dusabe Mutesi, a mother of five, in connection with the suspicious death of her two-year-old son, Nganwa Rugari, who died under unclear circumstances on April 2, 2025.
According to police, Mutesi claimed the child fell from the first floor of their home in Mutungo Zone 8, Nakawa Division, on the evening of April 1. He was initially taken to Kitintale Hospital and discharged with instructions for a CT scan. However, he was rushed back to the hospital in critical condition around 5 a.m. the next morning and was pronounced dead.
A police investigation was launched, and the body was taken to Mulago City Mortuary for a postmortem. Notably, investigators found no external injuries on the body, raising doubts about the initial account.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
Later, police spokesman Patrick Onyango revealed inconsistencies in the mother’s story. The window the child allegedly fell from was reportedly sealed shut, and forensic analysis found no signs of trauma on the body.
Mutesi, 40, is being held at Jinja Road Police Station to assist with the investigation. Police are also exploring a possible link between the child’s death and an ongoing legal dispute between Mutesi and her estranged husband, diplomat Chris Rugari.
The couple is undergoing divorce proceedings, which have included paternity tests. DNA results from last year revealed that two of their three older children were not biologically Rugari’s. As part of the ongoing case, the court had ordered DNA tests for all five children—tests scheduled for April 2, the day of Nganwa’s death.
A senior detective confirmed that a fresh DNA test was planned for the deceased and his 12-month-old sister on that same day. Investigators are now exploring whether the child’s death was intended to obstruct or delay the testing.
Sources say Mutesi was quick to initiate burial arrangements, contacting friends and relatives just minutes after the child was pronounced dead. However, Rugari’s relatives intervened and blocked any movement of the body until police could complete their investigations.
Police have vowed to uncover the full truth behind the incident.
Also Read: Authorities Launch Investigations as Anthrax Kills Two in Kazo
