Mother held after toddler’s body recovered from stream in Kabale

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A woman in Kabale district is in police custody after allegedly murdering her two-year-old child and disposing of the body in a nearby water stream, in a case that has shocked the local community.

The incident came to light on May 15, 2026, when neighbours noticed that Silvia Akankwasa had been seen the previous evening and again the following morning without her young child.

Concerned by the child’s unexplained absence, residents reported their suspicions to the local chairperson, Stella Samaki, who questioned the suspect directly.

Akankwasa was unable to account for the child’s whereabouts.

A community search was launched, and residents discovered the child’s clothing dumped in a toilet at the premises where Akankwasa was staying, a find that deepened suspicions about the child’s fate.

The matter was reported to Kabale Police. Upon arrest and interview, Akankwasa reportedly told investigators that she had killed the child and thrown the body into a water stream in Butobere.

A joint response team comprising scene of crime officers, the Homicide Unit, Fire Brigade personnel and DCID officers was deployed to the scene. The child’s body was recovered from the water stream and transported to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination.

Elly Maate, the public relations officer for Kigezi Region, confirmed the arrest and said investigations to establish the motive behind the killing are underway.