Kanungu Kidnap Victim Released

A Ugandan farmer from Kanungu district who was kidnapped by suspected Congolese militiamen has been released. 

The militiamen kidnapped Isaiah Mbeeta, a resident of Munyaga village in Western ward in Butogota town council in Kanungu district on Monday morning when they found him tilling his garden in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a few Kilometers from Butogota border.

 

After the kidnap, the gunmen used his mobile phone to call his relatives demanding for a ransom of Shillings 2 million for his release. 

Ely Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, says Mbeeta was released around midday on Tuesday after his family sent his kidnappers Shillings 1.5 million via mobile money.  The kidnappers had demanded for Shillings 2 million, but the victim's family pleaded with them to accept Shillings 1.5million. 

According to Maate, investigations in the matter are still ongoing. In his statement at Kihihi police station, Mbeeta says he didn't recognize any of the militias because they were all wearing masks on their faces. 

 

He however, says the kidnappers didn't mistreat him in anyway. Mbeeta isn't the first Ugandan to be kidnapped by Congolese militia for ransom. In August 2018, gunmen kidnapped Robert Mugabe, a resident of Busoni village in Kituba parish in Nakasongola district while transporting fish together with three other business people to DRC from Kasese district.

 

The gunmen intercepted the group in Queen Elizabeth National park near the Southern Gate Army Barracks in Kanungu district. Mugabe was released after his family paid $7,500 (about Shs 27.6m) ransom.