Zombo police trace teenage mother who abandoned baby in market

Zombo: In a coordinated operation, police in Zombo District have traced and apprehended a 16-year-old girl and her mother for allegedly abandoning a four-month-old baby boy in a corridor of the Zombo Town Council main market.

The case, filed under CRB Zombo 21/2025, has renewed focus on the rising trend of child desertion in the district.

The infant was discovered alone and vulnerable at approximately 8:00 PM on April 5, 2025. Investigations revealed that the teenage mother and the child’s grandmother both residents of Konga Village, Athuma Sub-county abandoned the child citing neglect by the baby’s father, a Congolese national who reportedly absconded.

Zombo District Police Commander SP Denis Kamugisha confirmed the incident. Although the suspects were briefly detained, they were released following intervention from the District LCV Chairperson and the District Probation Officer.

Charges under Section 144 of Penal Code 128 were dropped after the suspects admitted to the act.

Kamugisha issued a stern warning: “Child desertion cases are prevalent. This will not be tolerated. Parents facing challenges must contact local leaders, police, or relevant authorities.”

During her interview at Paidha Central Police Station, the juvenile mother accused her husband, Francis Okethwengu, of verbal abuse and incitement to abandon the child. She also cited mistreatment by her father-in-law, Albert Ubedirwoth, for worsening the situation.

In the infant’s time of need, Consulate Madhawun, a vendor from Cana Cell in Zombo Town Council stepped in. She cared for the child for three weeks, covering his medical treatment at Holy Family Hospital Nyapea with support from Zombo Town Parish Catholic Church clergy. Madhawun is now seeking reimbursement of UGX 150,000 for the costs, which she borrowed from a local shopkeeper.

Zombo Senior Probation and Welfare Officer, Sam Okello, praised Madhawun’s selflessness and the swift police action in reuniting the child with his mother.

Okello reported that the district’s probation department handles 3 to 5 child desertion cases every week a troubling trend from January through April 2025.

The official handover of the infant on April 23, 2025, was supervised by Kamugisha, Okello, and the head of the Family Protection Unit at Paidha Police Station. The case has sparked broader conversations about the root causes of child abandonment.

Zombo has a history of similar incidents in 2021, a one-month-old infant was abandoned in Mawa Cell, Paidha Town Council.

In 2023, another juvenile deserted her baby at a garage in Anyong, citing paternal neglect. In April 2024, a 14-year-old mother left a one-day-old in a bush in Uguta Village, Nyapea Sub-county and In 2024, multiple newborns were found deceased in pit latrines in Mawa, Zingili, and Mundhel Parish.

Stakeholders attribute the trend to early pregnancies, domestic violence, poverty, cultural stigma, and lack of family support. The Alur Kingdom has since 2022 intensified campaigns against early marriage and teenage pregnancy, after more than 10,000 cases were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the 2024 Police Annual Crime Report, Uganda recorded a 17% decline in child desertion cases from 1,918 in 2023 to 1,597 in 2024. However, Zombo’s caseload remains high.

Experts and local leaders are calling for a multi-faceted approach, including; community sensitization on child welfare and parental responsibility, support for juvenile mothers with counseling, education, and resources.

Others are strengthened Family Protection Units at local police stations and increased access to reproductive health education to prevent teenage pregnancy.

With committed efforts from both authorities and communities, stakeholders hope to reduce child abandonment cases and secure safer futures for vulnerable children in Zombo and beyond.

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