A 15-year-old student from Naalya Secondary School in Lugazi, Buikwe District, who had recently been suspended, has been discovered dead in Mukono District, a week after she was first reported missing.
Merisa Aneza, a Senior Two learner, was reported missing on 6 November by her mother, Sarah Kamuganga, at Kikoni B Police Station in Wandegeya, Kampala. Ms Kamuganga said her daughter had returned home on 28 October following a one-week suspension from school and had remained with her until the day she went missing.
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The head teacher of Naalya SS, Lugazi, Rita Mutaawe, said further details regarding the suspension would be provided upon a visit to the school.
Disappearance
According to the family, Merisa’s father, Martin Anogyerire, had earlier picked her from school and taken her to stay with her mother. On 4 November, the teenager reportedly left home in her school uniform and travelled by motorcycle to meet her father in Kawempe, where he planned to escort her back to school.
Hours later, Mr Anogyerire called Ms Kamuganga to ask why their daughter had not reached him. When Merisa failed to appear, her mother reported her disappearance two days later.
Police later reviewed security footage from a neighbour’s camera, which showed the girl walking, though from a distance.
Body Found in Mukono
On 10 November, photographs began circulating on social media showing a girl’s body found in Musaale Swamp in Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Sub-county, Mukono District. Local authorities said the body, which was already decomposing, was buried by mortuary staff in Kayunga District.
Two days later, Merisa’s parents were alerted to the discovery and suspected the remains could be their daughter. Ms Kamuganga travelled to view the body and said she identified it as her child.
At the time of recovery, witnesses said the body was dressed in a navy-blue skirt labelled “Nanyonga VII,” suggesting it belonged to a student. Police contacted nearby schools to determine whether any learners were missing.
Police Investigation
Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed that investigators are handling both the missing person case reported at Wandegeya and the body recovered in Kyampisi.
He said the body has not yet been released to the family pending DNA testing. “Police have applied for a court order to facilitate exhumation so that samples can be collected for DNA analysis,” he said.
The test will determine whether the remains are those of Merisa Aneza.
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