Kampala Metropolitan Police have confirmed that the decomposed female body recovered in Musaale Swamp, Kyampisi, is that of Aneza Merisa, a student who had been reported missing days earlier.
The confirmation follows days of parallel investigations that began when Aneza’s mother, Kamuganga Sarah, reported her disappearance on November 6 at Wandegeya Police Station.
According to the family, Aneza had left home dressed in her school uniform and set out to meet her father, Martin Anogyerire, in Kawempe Division. He planned to escort her back to school after a suspension. She never arrived. Hours later, both parents realised she had vanished somewhere between Kikoni and Kawempe.
Kamuganga said police detectives visited her home the next day and interviewed neighbours. One neighbour shared camera footage that showed the girl moving on foot, but the images were distant and offered no clues about what happened next.
Four days later, on November 10, residents of Musaale Swamp in Namulaba Village alerted Nagalama Police after discovering a decomposing female body. The victim was wearing a navy blue skirt marked “Nanyonga VII,” which suggested she was a student.
Because of the advanced decomposition, mortuary staff in Kayunga buried the remains before the family could view them. Police later applied for a court order to exhume the body and extract DNA samples. Tests have since confirmed the remains belong to Aneza.
ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, deputy spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan Police, said the focus has now shifted to establishing what caused the death and how the suspended student ended up in the swamp.
Detectives from both Kampala Metropolitan East and North are now treating the case as a suspected homicide, though police have not ruled out other possibilities.
Aneza’s death adds to rising concern over violence and disappearances involving minors. According to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report, more than 1,140 children were reported missing in 2024, and more than 300 child-related homicides were recorded nationwide. Kampala Metropolitan areas continue to register a significant share of these cases, driven by crowded settlements, long movements between school and home, and gaps in community supervision.
Police are urging anyone with information about Aneza’s movements on the day she disappeared to come forward. They also appealed for calm as investigators work to piece together her final hours.
