Ugandan police have arrested a mother of five and wife of a diplomat, Mutesi Joline, over the alleged murder of her two-year-old son, Nganwa Rugari, in Kampala.
The child, who stayed with his family in Mutungo Zone 8, reportedly died under unclear circumstances following an alleged fall from the first floor of their family home on the night of April 1, 2025, at approximately 8:30 p.m.
The tragic incident followed after the court ordered for a DNA test to be conducted on all the five children as part of the ongoing divorce proceedings between Mutesi and her husband, Chris Rugari, Zimbabwe’s Consular General in Uganda.
Reports suggest that Mutesi, 40, was aware that some of the children might not be her husband’s biological children.
Shortly before Nganwa tragically passed away, he and his 12-month-old sister were scheduled to undergo DNA testing as part of the divorce process.
Chris Rugari had previously claimed that at least three of the children were not biologically his.
Following the child’s death, Mutesi reportedly began contacting relatives, urging them to quickly remove the body from the hospital and take it to a funeral home.
Relatives noted that she seemed unusually focused on burial arrangements, even within minutes of the child’s fall from the apartment.
“She was calling people, urging them to come quickly and help move the body,” said one family member.
“It was as if she didn’t want anyone else to intervene.”
However, Rugari’s family insisted on waiting for police involvement before the body could be removed, leading to Mutesi’s arrest.
Rugari has accused his wife of engaging in extramarital affairs while he was away on diplomatic duties.
Speaking with newsmen, he confirmed reports of a DNA dispute, and further revealed that tests had shown two of his three eldest children were not his biologically his.
Kampala Metropolitan Police, spokesman Patrick Onyango said the police had opened a criminal investigation and detained Ms Kanoheri to help with the inquiry after her account was found inconsistent.
According to Onyango, Mutesi contacted an ambulance service shortly after the alleged fall. The child was taken to Kitintale Hospital, arriving around 10:00 p.m.
“The doctor on duty examined the child and noted that he was conscious and showed no alarming symptoms. Painkillers were administered, and a CT scan was recommended. However, the child was not admitted,” Onyango stated.
Tragically, at approximately 5:00 a.m. the following morning, Mutesi returned to the hospital with Nganwa, who was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police were promptly notified, and a death inquiry file was opened. Detectives visited the family residence in Mutungo to inspect the scene of the reported fall.
“During this investigation, significant discrepancies emerged. Our team noted that the window from which the child was said to have fallen had no burglar bars, was shut, and its lock was intact. Furthermore, a post-mortem examination conducted at the KCCA mortuary in Mulago revealed no visible physical injuries on the child’s body,” SSP Onyango added.
The inconsistencies in the mother’s account and the lack of physical evidence supporting a fall led to the arrest of Joline Mutesi, who is currently in custody to assist with the ongoing investigation.
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