Missing 5-tear-old girl found at Kampala church, suspect in custody

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A five-year-old girl who went missing over the weekend has been safely recovered by the Police at a Faith Healing Church in Kampala city's Nakawa division, ending a three-day search that gripped the Kireka community.

Blessing Musimenta was found on February 10, 2026, in the afternoon at a church owned by Pastor Muwanguzi Emmanuel Bissoboka in the Acholi Quarters of Kinawataka, according to the Police.

Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the recovery was the result of coordinated efforts and community engagement.

​Musimenta had disappeared on the evening of February 7 while playing with other children in Kireka ‘B’ Zone.

Following a report filed by her mother, Molly Turyashemerwa, the Police launched an investigation that led to the arrest of one suspect, Spire Samuel Sentongo, also known as Rasta.

Police confirmed that the child underwent a medical examination and was found to be in good health before being reunited with her family.

While the child is safe, the investigation remains active as authorities look into the circumstances of how she ended up at the church facility, according to Owoyesigyire.

​This incident highlights a recurring concern for residents in the fast-growing suburbs of the Kampala Metropolitan Area, particularly in Kira Municipality and Nakawa.

The successful recovery of the juvenile underlines the rising effectiveness of community-police partnerships and local neighbourhood watch initiatives in solving abduction and missing persons’ cases.

Incidents of missing children are not uncommon in the Kampala Metropolitan Area and surrounding districts.

In December last year, security agencies recovered a six-year-old boy who had allegedly been kidnapped on December 12, 2025, by a shamba boy employed at his family’s home.

The child, Abraham Mpirwe Tumwesigye, had gone missing from Ddungu Zone in Kawempe Division, Kampala District. According to police, he was rescued at around 9:30am in Busukuma, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachael Kawala said at the time that the kidnapping case was immediately reported at Universal Police Post, triggering swift search operations.

Investigators later analysed the suspect’s TikTok videos, which provided crucial leads that enabled security agencies to trace and safely recover the child.

Police said at the time that efforts to arrest the suspect, who remained at large, was ongoing. The rescued child underwent a medical examination before being reunited with his parents.

In late 2024, the community of Nabweru was devastated when the body of four-year-old Clowe Ndagire was found in an abandoned house just 400 meters from her home. Preliminary investigations suggested she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.