Editor
Robert Tukamuhebwa, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Kisoro, has confirmed that the family of Moses Bakunzi Nizeyimana from Kanyacucu Village, Busengo Parish, Nyarubuye Sub County, has agreed to pay 2 Million Shillings to the kidnappers who took his 10-year-old son, missing for over 10 days. This payment is a partial amount of the 8 Million Shillings ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
Tukamuhebwa mentioned that the family proceeded to make the payment through a mobile money transaction after the kidnappers provided evidence that the child was still alive. However, their attempts to trace the recipient’s phone number have been unsuccessful, as the phones were turned off after receiving the money.
Initial efforts by the police to track the phone indicated that it was located in Masisi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, but this lead quickly went cold.
Tukamuhebwa expressed sympathy for the family’s difficult situation but advised against refusing the guidance of security experts. He mentioned that ongoing efforts to locate the phones through GPS and other advanced methods are still in progress.
Furthermore, Tukamuhebwa called upon all Local Council I (LCI) chairpersons to begin documenting information about casual laborers who come to work in Kisoro. Many of these laborers come from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but very little information is collected by village leadership.
The victim, Irankunda John Mary, a third-grade student at Kanyacucu Primary School, was kidnapped by a Congolese shepherd named Hakiza, who was hired to care for livestock at their home. Moses Bakunzi Nizeyimana, a teacher at Nsungwe Primary School and the father of the missing boy, reported that his son and the shepherd had developed a close friendship. Nizeyimana and his wife left for church, leaving their son in Hakiza’s care. Upon their return, both the child and the shepherd were missing and have not returned since.
