By Micheal Atwakiire
Kanungu: Two school children who were allegedly kidnapped by armed Congolese men on Saturday 20 July 2019 in Kanungu District have been released after their parents paid ransom worth Shs2 million.
Akim Niwagaba, 13, and Ramathan Ayinamani, 10, pupils of Ntungamo Primary School in Butogota town council in Kanungu District were kidnapped by two Congolese militiamen, armed with AK 47 rifles.
The police spokesman for Kigezi Sub Region, Mr Elly Maate, on Monday 22 July confirmed the release of the pupils saying, the two pupils who were arrested Saturday were released on negotiations with kidnappers via a police mobile phone.
“The kidnappers strictly used text messages to negotiate the ransom to be paid. After the ransom was paid, the pupils were released and received by their excited parents and relatives,” Mr Maate said.
Jackson Tukahirwa, an uncle to the kidnapped pupils said, they received the two kids at around 8:30pm after walking 2km inside DR Congo.
He added that the family decided to pay the money because authorities of both countries Uganda and Congo didn’t intervene with a mounting operation to hunt the thugs.
“At around 7:15pm, we received a message from the kidnappers instructing us to bring Shs2 million if we wanted our children to be released. We immediately mobilized the money and after about 2kms inside Congo, the kidnappers told us to stop and put the money on the ground then move few steps behind,” he narrates.
“Then a man armed with an AK 47 emerged from the bush picked the money and counted it. He raised his arm maybe signaling his colleagues confirming receipt of the money and immediately our two pupils emerged from the adjacent bush, he added”
This is not the first time Uganda face Congolese kidnaps. In April, unknown gunmen in Queen Elizabeth National Park kidnapped an American tourist and her driver before demanding for a ransom of $500,000 (Shs1.9b).
Ms Kimberly Sue Endicott and the driver Jean-Paul Mirenge were later released.
On April 22, the militias kidnapped two Ugandans and released them after their families paid ransom worth Shs3.5m.
