Kalungu Parents Terrified as Kidnappers Demand Shs60M for 15-Year-Old Pupil

Residents of Kalungu Rural Village in Kalungu Town Council are reeling in shock following the abduction of a 15-year-old Primary Leaving Examinations candidate. The victim, Joseph Kateregga, was snatched from his bedroom on the night of Friday, November 6, shortly after returning home for his school holidays.

According to his mother, Ms Betty Nabuyungo, the assailants struck at around 8:00pm while she was preparing supper. The boy was asleep alongside his younger brother when the kidnappers broke in and whisked him away on a waiting motorcycle. Despite immediate alarms and subsequent police roadblocks set up that night, law enforcement was unable to intercept the suspects.

The ordeal quickly escalated into a nightmare when the abductors established phone contact on Saturday, November 7. They initially demanded Shs50 million, but subsequent calls saw the ransom fluctuate before settling at Shs60 million on Tuesday, November 10. The terrified mother recounted that the callers claimed to have severed two of her son’s fingers and threatened to behead him if the family failed to pay up.

Local leaders noted that kidnapping for ransom is completely unprecedented in the quiet agricultural community, which typically only deals with minor theft. The family maintains they have no wealth or known wrangles, leaving them baffled by the tragic targeting of their household. Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson Twaha Kasirye confirmed that security agencies are treating the case with utmost urgency and investigating leads to rescue the teenager.

Read more details about this developing story on Daily Monitor.