Man Found Dead in Mt. Elgon National Park Four Years After Disappearance

A man who went missing in Mt. Elgon National Park in Kween District has been found dead, four years after his disappearance. The deceased, Simon Kusuro Kishen, 58, a resident of Kengsin Village, Teremboi Parish, Kitowoi Sub County, went missing in December 2021 following a brief episode of mental illness, according to his family.

Fred Chebet, a relative, told Uganda Radio Network that the remains were discovered by a woman who had gone to collect firewood in the park on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. “We learned about this after the reports by a woman who was fetching firewood, and when we intervened, we got the remains, which we identified from part of the cloth he had on prior to his disappearance,” said Chebet.

Nelson Chesikor, the LC3 Chairperson of Kitowoi Sub County, confirmed that the deceased’s wife positively identified the remains. He said local leaders and the community have since consented to proceed with burial arrangements. “His body was retrieved inside the National Park by the community and security, and it was handed over to the relatives for burial,” Chesikor stated.

Fredmark Chesang, the Sipi Region Police Spokesperson, noted that the matter had initially been reported to Kween Central Police Station in 2021. He said the family declined a postmortem examination, having already confirmed the identity of the remains.

“They requested that there was no need for a postmortem since they were able to identify their relative. We agreed, in the presence of the local leadership,” Chesang added. The body has since been handed over to the family for final burial rites.