Why Police fail to identify dumped bodies

KAMPALA - Secluded places in Kampala and bushes in the city outskirts continue to bear witness to a disturbing trend: a growing number of bodies recovered without any identification. 

These bodies are either ferried to these spots or the persons are killed from there, but their identities are taken away. 

This makes the deaths mysterious and hence difficult for the Police to trace relatives to claim the bodies once retrieved and taken to the city mortuary. 

It is only in a few cases where relatives identify and claim bodies, especially after they have reported a case of a missing person and they keep checking at the city mortuary. 

As a result, bodies that remain unclaimed are buried in the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) cemetery at Bukasa in Kira municipality, Wakiso district. 

A report compiled by the Police Force’s directorate of forensic services, which was released in February, showed that 250 bodies were unclaimed and buried at Bukasa last year alone. 

The report shed light on the leading causes of these deaths, the black spots where bodies are frequently dumped, and the ongoing struggle to identify victims. 

According to the report, majority of the unclaimed bodies are victims of murder, mob justice, hit-and-run accidents and random bodies whose cause of death is unknown. 

While forensic scientists are making strides in identifying bodies, the backlog of unidentified bodies remains high. 

According to a KCCA official, who spoke to New Vision, the issue of unclaimed bodies is not just a forensic challenge; it is also a logistical and financial burden on the Government. 

Without divulging the figure, the official said KCCA and Police allocate significant resources to recovering, storing, and eventually burying unclaimed bodies every year. 

“Each body requires a post-mortem examination which involves collecting samples, photographing and documentation. Bodies have to be buried once they exceed storage limits. 

This is in addition to the process of transporting the bodies to Bukasa cemetery, digging graves and burying them. These are all costs,” he said. The problem has not slowed down this year. 

Between January and March 15, at least 143 unidentified bodies have been received at the city mortuary, with forensic teams struggling to trace their identities and relatives. 
New Vision has established that January recorded the highest number of unidentified bodies (62), followed by February (51). Between March 1 and 15, police recovered 25 unidentified bodies.

Murder cases  

A total of 44 homicide cases were recorded in 2024; all of them were in Mukono district. Many of these bodies showed signs of violence, including stab wounds, gunshot injuries, and strangulation. 

The report indicates that mob justice also remains a significant contributor to unidentified bodies, with 216 cases. 

The most affected areas include Kawempe, Katwe, Kira division, Kasangati, Mukono and Old Kampala. (See graphic for details). “Victims of mob justice are often suspected criminals attacked by angry crowds before police intervention. 

The brutality of these attacks makes identification difficult, as many bodies are disfigured beyond recognition,” reads the report.

Breakdown for unidentified & unclaimed bodies / human remains received and examined (Jan-Dec 2024)

Traffic accidents  

The report also indicates that a significant number of unidentified bodies result from road crashes where pedestrians are killed in hit-and-run accidents. 

The most dangerous black spots include the Northern Bypass (15 deaths), Kawempe (10 deaths), while Kyebando after the flyover, Bukoto traffic lights and Namasuba Bata Bata each had three deaths. 

“Pedestrians and bodaboda riders account for the majority of road accident victims. Many of these individuals lack identification, making it difficult for authorities to trace their families,” reads the report.

Identification efforts 

According to the 2024 forensic report, Police, working with KCCA, collected forensic samples from 549 bodies to aid in identification. Of these, however, only 299 bodies were claimed by relatives, leaving 250 unclaimed. 

This prompted KCCA to bury them in its cemetery in Bukasa. Forensic experts collected samples including fingerprints, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) swabs and 3D photographs, the report stated. Of all the 549 bodies analysed last year, 19 were identified using fingerprints compared to 10 out of 561 bodies identified in 2023. 

“There was a notable improvement in fingerprint identification,” said the report.

According to the report, five bodies could not be identified through fingerprints due to decomposition, necessitating reliance on DNA analysis, which was also used to identify all the other claimed bodies. 

The report revealed that majority of the bodies examined last year belonged to males. Out of the 549 bodies discovered last year, 473 were male adults, compared to 68 female adults. 

The other eight bodies were for juveniles — four males and four females. 
In his foreword, Assistant Commissioner of Police Andrew Mubiru who heads the directorate of forensic services, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to advancing the forensic science capacity in Uganda. 

“This report underscores the unwavering dedication, professionalism and commitment of our forensic experts in supporting the administration of justice through the provision of timely scientific truth for safer communities in Uganda,” Mubiru said. 

The 2024 forensic report revealed a significant increase in the number of crime scenes processed by forensic experts. 

A total of 42,416 crime scenes were examined last year, compared to 39,041 in 2023, an increase of 3,375 crime scenes in one year.

DNA challenges  

Mubiru emphasised that the directorate of forensic services has expanded crime scene management, adopted modern forensic technology and implemented a quality management system to align with international best practices. 

He said that DNA analysis continues to play a crucial role in criminal investigations and victim identification. Last year, 87 DNA reports were issued, a slight decline from 92 reports in 2023. 

The DNA laboratory also proved essential in confirming identities in cases of sexual and gender-based violence and disaster victim identification. 

The report cited one of the most notable cases: the Kigogwa fuel tanker explosion on October 22, 2024, where 12 victims were positively identified using DNA samples provided by relatives. 

These victims were reunited with their families for proper burial. The report also highlights significant strides in forensic investigations, including improvements in fingerprint and DNA identification.

Despite these advancements, a considerable number of bodies remain unidentified due to challenges such as decomposition, limited DNA databases and delays in purchasing DNA consumables. 

However, the directorate’s leadership warned that without adequate funding, the increasing backlog of cases could hinder forensic investigations.
 
As a solution, the forensic authorities said they are working on expanding Uganda’s DNA repository, which is expected to enhance identification capabilities in the coming years.

Sudden deaths 

According to the report, unexplained deaths continue to be a challenge to forensic teams. Old Kampala registered the highest number of sudden and unexplained deaths (28 cases) last year. 

Additionally, drowning contributed to the number of unidentified bodies. Kira division, particularly Kasokoso and Kireka, recorded three cases of individuals found dead in water bodies.