Derrick Memory, a 30-year-old resident of Rukarara Village in Kanungu District, has been arrested in connection with the 2019 abduction of American tourist Kimberly Sue Endecott.
Endecott, then 35, and her guide, Jean Paul Remezo, were kidnapped at gunpoint on April 2, 2019, while on an evening game drive along the Edward Track between Katoke Gate and Wilderness Camp in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The kidnappers demanded a $500,000 ransom (around UGX 1.8 billion) for their release. Two other tourists, Julius Martin and his wife, Barbel, were unharmed but left stranded after the attackers took the car keys.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
The incident raised significant local and international concern about the safety of Uganda’s tourism sector. Endecott was later released unharmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reportedly after a ransom was paid.
According to Maj. Kiconco Tabaro, spokesperson for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) 2nd Infantry Division, Memory had been hiding in North Kivu Province in eastern DRC, where he was working with criminal gangs active in Buganza, Nyamirima, Kasoso, and as far as Goma City.
He was captured after illegally re-entering Uganda through an unmonitored border point. Authorities recovered wildlife products and military gear during his arrest.
Memory had evaded capture for years, often crossing into Uganda via porous border routes like Rwamagali and Bukunkulima. Security agencies are continuing efforts to apprehend three other suspects believed to be operating across the Uganda-DRC border.
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
