Police stuck with four lost girls
Jun 01, 2010
THE Police in Kabarole district are stranded with four girls who have spent four days at a bus terminal in Fort Portal town.
By Hope Mafaranga
THE Police in Kabarole district are stranded with four girls who have spent four days at a bus terminal in Fort Portal town.
The Police said the girls, who are aged between 14 and 17 years, were seen on the streets, causing suspicion.
“During the night, the girls were seen on the streets of Fort Portal, which prompted one of the residents on Lugard Street to alert the Police,†Kabarole district criminal investigations boss Joseph Bitali Ssentamu said yesterday.
The girls told the Police that their journey from Kasese and Bundibugyo districts, seeking employment in Kampala, aborted when they run out of cash for the bus fare. Camped at Link Bus park, they hoped to get a lift on one of the buses.
Ssentamu identified the girls as Basemera, 14, Kunihira, 17, both from Bugoye village in Kasese, Bambu, 16, of Kitojo in Mubuuku also in Kasese, and Kemigisa, 16, from Nyahuka town council in Bundibugyo.
In their statements, the children told the Police that they were travelling to Namungoona in Kampala to meet a woman identified as Joy Itungo, who had promised them employment.
“Police got a tip-off that four girls had for days camped at Link Bus park. So, we went and arrested them for interrogation and safe custody,†Ssentamu said.
He added that Bambu, who works in Kampala, had upon return to her village convinced Kunihira and Basemera to join her in the city for lucrative jobs.
Kunihira, a Senior One student, said her parents died last year and she was scared of staying alone in the house.
“When my friend (Bambu) told me that she knew someone in Kampala who is looking for maids, I was excited and encouraged Basemera to come along.
“Bambu told us that our employment in the city was guaranteed. We boarded a bus from Kasese on Thursday night ( last week) but the money we had was not enough to take us to Kampala.
On Friday morning we reached Fort Portal where we remained stranded until this morning when we were arrested,†she narrated.
Kunihira said she is a daughter of the late Gloria and Clovis Beswaza.
Kemigisa told The New Vision that she was heading to Rubaga, a Kampala suburb, to see her aunt, only identified as Lillian, who promised to enroll her at a secondary school at the beginning of the term.
She, however, said her money was stolen on the bus from Fort Portal. Kemigisa said as she roamed around the bus park, she met the other three girls, who also said their journey to Kampala had aborted.
“I got stranded when I lost my money. I walked to the bus park where I asked one bus driver to take me, promising that my aunt would pay the fare but he refused,†Kemigisa said.
Former Kabarole district education officer Victoria Businge Rusoke took the girls to her home where they bathed and had a meal in four days.
Whereas the rest of the girls were ready to return home, Kunihira begged to stay with Rusoke whom she asked for shelter and money for school fees.
This is the second incident in three weeks for the Police to rescue stranded children, who leave their homes after getting bogus promises of a better future.
Last month, a 16-year-old housemaid in Mpererwe disappeared with three children, promising to take them to the US.
THE Police in Kabarole district are stranded with four girls who have spent four days at a bus terminal in Fort Portal town.
The Police said the girls, who are aged between 14 and 17 years, were seen on the streets, causing suspicion.
“During the night, the girls were seen on the streets of Fort Portal, which prompted one of the residents on Lugard Street to alert the Police,†Kabarole district criminal investigations boss Joseph Bitali Ssentamu said yesterday.
The girls told the Police that their journey from Kasese and Bundibugyo districts, seeking employment in Kampala, aborted when they run out of cash for the bus fare. Camped at Link Bus park, they hoped to get a lift on one of the buses.
Ssentamu identified the girls as Basemera, 14, Kunihira, 17, both from Bugoye village in Kasese, Bambu, 16, of Kitojo in Mubuuku also in Kasese, and Kemigisa, 16, from Nyahuka town council in Bundibugyo.
In their statements, the children told the Police that they were travelling to Namungoona in Kampala to meet a woman identified as Joy Itungo, who had promised them employment.
“Police got a tip-off that four girls had for days camped at Link Bus park. So, we went and arrested them for interrogation and safe custody,†Ssentamu said.
He added that Bambu, who works in Kampala, had upon return to her village convinced Kunihira and Basemera to join her in the city for lucrative jobs.
Kunihira, a Senior One student, said her parents died last year and she was scared of staying alone in the house.
“When my friend (Bambu) told me that she knew someone in Kampala who is looking for maids, I was excited and encouraged Basemera to come along.
“Bambu told us that our employment in the city was guaranteed. We boarded a bus from Kasese on Thursday night ( last week) but the money we had was not enough to take us to Kampala.
On Friday morning we reached Fort Portal where we remained stranded until this morning when we were arrested,†she narrated.
Kunihira said she is a daughter of the late Gloria and Clovis Beswaza.
Kemigisa told The New Vision that she was heading to Rubaga, a Kampala suburb, to see her aunt, only identified as Lillian, who promised to enroll her at a secondary school at the beginning of the term.
She, however, said her money was stolen on the bus from Fort Portal. Kemigisa said as she roamed around the bus park, she met the other three girls, who also said their journey to Kampala had aborted.
“I got stranded when I lost my money. I walked to the bus park where I asked one bus driver to take me, promising that my aunt would pay the fare but he refused,†Kemigisa said.
Former Kabarole district education officer Victoria Businge Rusoke took the girls to her home where they bathed and had a meal in four days.
Whereas the rest of the girls were ready to return home, Kunihira begged to stay with Rusoke whom she asked for shelter and money for school fees.
This is the second incident in three weeks for the Police to rescue stranded children, who leave their homes after getting bogus promises of a better future.
Last month, a 16-year-old housemaid in Mpererwe disappeared with three children, promising to take them to the US.