Police have confirmed that the body recovered from a swamp in Kyampisi Subcounty is that of Aneza Merisa, a student of Naalya SS, Lugazi Campus, revealing a tragic turn in a case that began as a missing-person report earlier this month.
In a statement on Tuesday, police spokesperson Kawala Rachael said investigators under Kampala Metropolitan North are now treating the case as murder following DNA confirmation.
“The Territorial Police in Kampala Metropolitan North are investigating the murder of Aneza Merisa, a student at Naalya SS, Lugazi Campus,”
Rachael said.
According to the statement, Aneza’s mother, Kamuganga Sarah first reported her missing at Wandegeya Police Station on 6th November 2025. Four days later, on 10th November, a decomposing body was discovered in Musaale Swamp in Namulaba Village, Kyampisi Subcounty, under the jurisdiction of Nagalama Police Station.
“The body was dressed in a navy-blue student skirt labeled ‘Nanyonga VII,’ suggesting that the victim may have been a student,”
the police spokesperson noted.
Because the body was already in an advanced state of decomposition, it was initially buried by mortuary staff in Kayunga. However, detectives later secured a court order to exhume the remains to establish identity.
“DNA samples were extracted and submitted to the Forensics Headquarters in Naguru,”
she explained, adding that the results conclusively matched the missing girl.
With the identity confirmed, police have now intensified investigations to determine how the student was killed and how her body ended up dumped in the swamp.
“With this confirmation, we are now treating the case as a murder investigation. Detectives are following leads to establish the circumstances under which Aneza was killed and her body dumped in the swamp,”
Rachael said.
She extended condolences to the grieving family and reassured the public of the police’s commitment to pursuing justice.
She mourned, “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and assure the public that we are committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.”
The body was officially handed over to the family for burial on Saturday.
