Mbarara hospital nurse found dead in River Rwizi

Mbarara, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in the Rwizi Region have retrieved the body of a woman believed to be Judith Kyarisima , a senior midwife at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, who went missing last week. Samson Kasasira, the Rwizi Region Police spokesperson, stated that Kyarisima, 50, the wife of  Justus Nkwasibwe, a resident of Katete Central in Mbarara City South Division, disappeared on September 2, 2024.

Without revealing further details, Kasasira confirmed the arrest of four suspects, including Kyarisima’s husband, Nkwasibwe, who is suspected of being involved in her disappearance and death. The suspects are currently assisting with the investigation. Kasasira added that they would bring in Nkwasibwe to help identify the body and conduct a postmortem to determine whether Kyarisima was murdered or if the cause of death was suicide.

Rogers Arinaitwe, Chairperson of the Nurses and Midwives of Central Ankole Union, expressed the union’s demand for justice for Kyarisima, both for the union and her family.

Janet Kyohairwe, a midwife at the hospital, voiced her concerns. While they are mourning, she noted that they are still unsure whether the body retrieved is indeed Judith’s. She called on the police to release Kyarisima’s husband to help in identifying the body.

Halson Kagure, the head of communications at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, said that Kyarisima, a long-serving member of their staff, had recently returned for further studies and was on an internship. She had submitted her documents to the hospital on August 27th.

The body has been taken to the Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital morgue for a postmortem examination. In protest of the unclear circumstances surrounding Kyarisima’s death, staff from Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and her relatives marched to the police station, demanding that authorities conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the details of her death.

Kyarisima had been working at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital since 1994, gradually rising through the ranks to become a senior nurse. She was also one of the founders of the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Union and served as the General Secretary for the Central Ankole region.

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