13-year-old forced into marriage for four years

By Luke Kagiri

The police in Mubende have rescued a 13 year old girl who has been married to a 50 year old man for the past four years.

It is alleged that the girl, (identity was withheld), was kidnapped in May 2009 from her grandmother's home, in Kawumulwa village, in Kiyuni Sub County.

 Martin Okiria, the deputy CID chief at Mubende police station said that Isma Mukiibi, who had allegedly married the girl has since been arrested.

 According to police, Mukiibi is suspected to have killed one Tereza Nansasi, the grandmother of the victim, before he kidnapped the girl.

"In May 2009, Nansasi's body was discovered dead. She had been strangled in bed. That was the very night when the girl went missing, and since then, the relatives have been looking for her," he said.

Mukiibi was arrested last week in Bulo, Gomba district for alleged defilement.

It was at this time that the police learnt he had been living with the girl for the past three years, and the search for the girls relatives started.

The victim who was later transferred to at Mubende police station, said that Mukiibi was holding three other girls of her age at home. Mukiibi, she said had forced all of them into sex.

After interrogating the girl, Bulo police learn that Mukiibi had killed the grandmother and so decided to transfer the case to Mubende where he had committed murder of Nansasi.

 "We are currently having two cases of murder and Kidnap. The charge of defilement is with Kanoni police station in Gomba and the file is already sanctioned," Okiria explained.