Lost and found! Former Pupil at Bishop Asili Memorial Nursery and PS sufaces after 6 six years.

Kabale: A former student of Bishop Asili Memorial Nursery and Primary School, whose father had filed a case against the school regarding her disappearance, has been recovered by the police in Kampala.

She was found under the care of her mother’s friend identified as Phionah Rukundo.

In 2018, Tadeo Ruzindantaro, represented by his lawyer, Timothy Twikirize of Twikirize and Company Advocates, filed a legal case against the management of Bishop Asili Memorial Nursery and Primary School at the Kabale High Court, civil suit number 36 of 2022.

He accused the school authorities of allowing his daughter, Bethan Nimurungi, to be taken by his estranged wife, Mercy Kirande, without his greenlight.

Kirande, who is currently living in South Africa, had requested permission on April 23rd, 2018, to take the child to Kampala for medical treatment due to stomach complications. However, she failed to return the child back to school.

The Uganda Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner of Police (SCP) Fred Enanga informed the press that the child and her caretaker, Phionah Rukundo, were located in Kampala through tracking efforts.

Investigations revealed that Nimurungi’s mother, Mercy Kirande, along with her friend Rukundo, had taken the child from the school in Kabale.

 Rukundo was arrested on 23^rd Sepetember 2023, and Nimurungi is currently detained at Kibuli CID Headquarters in Kampala.

Rukundo has been released on police bond, and both will be transported to Kabale Central Police Station for further proceedings.

The school’s Head Teacher, Sister Margret Tusiime, expressed relief because of the child’s recovery. She said the school management was very much concerned about the legal costs associated with the case.

She emphasized that the school is collaborating with the police for further guidance.

The school’s lawyer, Justus Muhangi of Muhangi and Partners Advocates, says they suspect the plaintiff might have been aware of his child’s whereabouts all along.

He alleged that the lawsuit was an attempt to soil the school’s reputation.

However, Tadeo Ruzindantaro, the child’s father, continues to hold the school responsible for releasing his child without the parents’ consent.

He cautioned the school not to hinder his efforts to rescue the children but instead urged them to provide evidence of their involvement in locating the children.