Body of missing IHK doctor found in Muyenga septic tank
Apr 22, 2019
The discovery of Catherine Agaba’s body followed the arrest of security guard Ronald Obangakene in Apac
Police has recovered the body of Catherine Agaba, a medical doctor at International Hospital Kampala (IHK), who was reported missing on April 13, by her boyfriend.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said Agaba's body was recovered from a septic tank in a compound of her rental in Muyenga, on Monday afternoon. The rental is part of a block of semi-finished apartments.
Agaba was reported missing on April 13, and a case filed with the Police by her boyfriend.
Onyango said the discovery of Agaba's body followed the arrest of a guard, Ronald Obangakene in Apac.
Upon his arrest, Obangakene, according to Police, confessed: "I participated in the murder and I dumped the body in a septic tank."
Ogenga told the Police that he killed Agaba because she said she would report him to his boss for dodging work, among other things related to negligence of duty.
Onyango said several items belonging to Agaba were found at Ogenga's place when he was arrested.
Agaba goes missing
Agaba who was a member of Uganda Medical Association went missing from her home in Muyenga last Sunday.
Uganda Medical Association, which has been running a campaign on social media under #Bringcathyhome hashtag in a bid to find her.
Agaba's sister, Immaculate Kobusingye, told New Vision last week that they had not heard from Agaba since Sunday, when she reportedly left her home.
"She works with IHK and was on her annual leave. Our young brother had travelled from the village and was supposed to stay at her home as he filled his university application forms.
However, when he got to her Muyenga home, he found the door locked," Kobusingye said. She added that when their brother failed to get in touch with her, he returned home in Mbarara.
He informed their parents who in turn called and informed Kobusingye and her other siblings of Agaba's disappearance.
"We went to her home and found the door locked, however, one of the neighbours told us that she saw Agaba leaving that Sunday morning. Unfortunately we cannot trace her. We do not know where she could be. We appeal to her or anybody who has any information about her whereabouts to immediately alert us or report to the nearest Police station," Kobusingye said.
Agaba's brother, Joseph Mugambe, said at the time that the family was worried and appealed to members of the public to volunteer information about his sister.
Onyango last week confirmed that the matter of a missing person had been reported to Police and that Kabalagala Police Station was investigating the matter.
"Her boyfriend and the family reported the case on the night of April 16 and our investigation team has visited the house where she was residing. They have recorded statements from some people. We are investigating the matter," Onyango said.
Police sources confirmed that they had invited some of her friends to Kabalagala Police Station to record statements.
A colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity said Agaba had been working with IHK since her internship last year before she was confirmed as a staff.
"She is a quiet and reserved person. It was quite difficult to know what was happening around her," the colleague said.
Agaba studied her O'level at Maryhill High School in Mbarara and was later admitted to Gayaza High School for her A'level before she proceeded to Mbarara University of Science and Technology, where she studied medicine.
Police investigates
Kabalagala Police arrested a Kenyan doctor in connection with Agaba's disappearance on Friday from his rented apartment in Kisugu, Makindye division, where Agaba was believed to have been spotted, before she went missing on Sunday morning.
In an earlier interview with New Vision last week, Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy Police spokesperson, said they were in the process of getting a court permission to extract Agaba's call data and that at the time, they were treating the case as a missing person, and not kidnap, because there were indicators that she had parked her clothes and left home.