8-year-old defiled, murdered during night prayers

By Job Nantakiika and Martin Ndijjo

Tragedy befell Pastor Wilson Bugembe's church when an 8-year old girl was defiled and brutally murdered during night prayers.

Desire Nakalanzi's body, whose private parts were raptured, was discovered hidden behind Bugembe's Light The World church in Kibulooka, a Nansana suburb notorious for crime, on Wednesday.

At the crime scene were the girl's panties that had been ripped off her and a wallet that police suspect could belong to one of the suspects.

The girl's mother, Christine Muyama of Gganda in Wakiso, had gone with her daughter for Tuesday night prayers as was her custom. At about 2:30am  her daughter told her she wanted to ease herself, and went out to the bathrooms.

An hour later Muyama noticed her daughter had not returned and prayers were stopped as a search for the missing girl ensued.

The search however revealed nothing and the mother filed a case - SD/02/15/513- of her missing daughter at Nansana police Wednesday morning.

When the search resumed later, police stumbled upon the lifeless body of the little girl hidden behind Bugembe's church. On seeing her daughter's body, Muyama collapsed as first aid was administered to her.

Fred Mazinga, a neighbour to Muyama said mother and daughter were inseperable and they always moved together. Muyama seperated with the girl's father and she has raised her since she was a toddler. She was the jewel of her life.

The wallet

Muyama (M) is supported by fellow church goers after she was resuscitated

The CID boss Wakiso, Musa Zziwa, said that a post mortem report revealed the girl had been defiled and strangled. He said a wallet was also discovered at the crime scene and they believe it could belong to one of the suspects. He said they were using this important piece of evidence to trace the heartless monsters.

Pastor Bugembe said the church fraternity was mourning together with the family of the deceased. He said the night prayers were stopped at 3.30am when they realised the little girl was missing. He said they susepcted the girl could have gotten tired and gone home with other children and spent the night at a friend's place.

Bugembe decried the high level of crime in the area adding that every two days cases of buglary or murder are reported.

Shocked beyond grief, he said it was baffling how the little girl's life was so cruelly snatched from her in such a short spell because there are guards stationed outside the church.

"We are also going to task these security guards to explain how this happened," he said. He also urged police to beef up security in the area.