Kampala Police Arrest 34-Year-Old Woman for Alleged Self-Kidnapping

Police in Kampala North have arrested and detained Nanteza Aisha, 34, on allegations of staging her own kidnapping.

The case was registered on 15 December 2025 after the victim’s mother, Nakanwagi Rose, a resident of Kasana in Luwero District, reported that her daughter had gone missing after failing to reach her intended destination. Police immediately launched search and investigative operations.

According to the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, SP Racheal Kawala, preliminary investigations reveal that on 12 December 2025 at around 4:00 p.m., Nanteza, a resident of Katooke in Nabweru, Wakiso District, informed her mother by phone that she would be travelling to her mother’s home in Luwero at about 6:00 p.m. However, she never arrived.

On 13 December 2025 at approximately 3:00 p.m., the victim’s sister received a WhatsApp video allegedly showing Nanteza confined in a bush, with her hands, legs, and mouth tied. In the video, a voice in the background demanded a ransom of UGX 50 million.

SP Kawala stated that following intensive investigations and an exhaustive search, a police task team arrested the suspect in Kigombe, Luwero District.

Nanteza Aisha is currently in police custody and is expected to be arraigned in court to answer the relevant charges. Police strongly condemned the act, noting that it caused unnecessary public panic and fear.