The police have raised concern over a growing trend of fatal ransom kidnappings following the abduction and murder of a 52-year-old woman, Lydia Babirye Sengendo, in Ntinda-Kigowa, a Kampala suburb.Babirye was reportedly abducted on June 4. Her body was later recovered, wrapped in a mattress and tied with ropes, at the residence of the prime suspect, Kagga Shafiq, in Kiteredde, Kakiri town council, Wakiso district, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire. Lydia Babirye SengendoInvestigations commenced after Babirye’s relatives reported her disappearance at Old Kampala police station. The case took a dramatic turn when Kagga and his alleged accomplice, Abubakar Ntege, reportedly used the victim’s phone to contact family members and demand a ransom of Shs 19 million.“Through investigative leads, detectives linked Kagga Shafiq and Ntege Abubakar to the kidnapping. During interrogation, Ntege led detectives to his residence in Kakiri, where the victim’s body was recovered. Investigators also found a freshly dug grave within the compound, likely intended for the burial of the victim,” Owoyesigyire said.The incident comes amid growing concern over a series of ransom-related kidnappings reported within the Kampala metropolitan area in recent months.In a similar case, Tonny Ssewakyiryanga, a 25-year-old footballer from Kikubampanga cell in Kakiri town council, Wakiso district, was reportedly kidnapped and murdered after his captors demanded money from his family.According to Eric Kalule, youth councillor for Kakiri town council and a close friend of the deceased, Ssewakyiryanga was abducted on the night of May 3, 2026, as he returned home. The kidnappers later demanded a ransom of Shs 5 million.“The assailants searched the house for money but found none. They forced Ssewakyiryanga to call his father and demanded a five-million-shilling ransom.“When the father failed to raise the money and threatened to report the matter to the police, the kidnappers disappeared with him and switched off his phone. His body was later found mutilated,” Kalule said.Another kidnapping was reported on May 29 in Njeru municipality, where police rescued Mollete Komugisha, wife of St Abel School director Bosses Taremwa, following her abduction from her home in Bujoweli Zone.A flying squad officer involved in several rescue operations said ransom demands remain a common feature in most kidnapping cases. Police say at least two ransom-related abductions have ended in the deaths of victims within the Kampala metropolitan area over the past two months.“The problem arises when kidnappers demand ransom and families manage to pay only part of it. In many cases, the suspects warn relatives against involving the police. When families fail to raise the full amount, they often turn to the police, and the kidnappers retaliate by killing the victims,” the officer said.Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has repeatedly urged families not to negotiate directly with kidnappers but to report such incidents to law enforcement agencies immediately.According to Rusoke, police have the capacity to track suspects and improve the chances of rescuing victims safely. Police statistics indicate that 206 kidnapping cases were recorded nationwide in 2025, down from 245 cases registered in the previous year, representing a 15 per cent decline.Despite the drop in reported cases, authorities say kidnappings continue to be largely driven by financial motives, including ransom demands, debt-related disputes, and attempts to gain access to victims’ bank accounts and mobile money funds.The post Kisasi woman killed as police warn of rise in fatal ransom kidnappings appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.