Kayunga Hospital Under Fire as Missing Baby Case Takes New Twist

Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital is facing possible legal action following a reported case of a stolen baby at the facility, in a development that has taken a dramatic turn after police arrested the child’s father over alleged defilement.

The incident, which reportedly occurred on July 19, 2025, at the hospital premises, sparked outrage among residents and local leaders. The baby’s relatives have accused hospital management of negligence and vowed to seek justice through the courts.

“We are not satisfied with the way the hospital handled this matter,” a family member said. “A newborn cannot just disappear like that. Someone must be held accountable, and we are ready to go to court.”

Florence Nabirye, the baby’s grandmother, questioned how the situation escalated from a search for the missing child to the arrest of the parents.

“We were at home when we heard on the radio that police in Kayunga were holding a woman with a suspected stolen baby. We rushed there and, together with detectives, went to verify CCTV footage at the hospital. After that, we returned to Kayunga Central Police Station, and suddenly detectives ordered my son and his wife to remove their shoes,” Nabirye said.

She added that the couple was then ordered into police cells under unclear circumstances. The following day, the father was produced in court while the mother was released unconditionally.

“It was later that we learned he had been accused of defilement and remanded to prison,” she said.

According to preliminary information, the baby went missing shortly after birth under unclear circumstances, leaving the mother and her attendants devastated. Efforts to trace the infant have so far yielded no public breakthrough.

Hospital authorities have reportedly initiated internal inquiries into the matter.

Helen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed that police have retrieved CCTV footage from the hospital as investigations continue.

When contacted, the hospital’s Principal Administrator, Salim Kivejinja, also confirmed that the police are handling the investigations.

Local leaders have urged calm while demanding accountability from the hospital administration.

“This is a disturbing incident,” some residents said.

The case has raised broader concerns in the district about security in health facilities and the need to better safeguard vulnerable mothers and newborns.

Collins Kafeero, the Kayunga District Probation Officer, said authorities are closely following the matter to ensure that all parties are protected from potential human rights violations.

Since July last year, the whereabouts of the missing baby remain unknown.