Ugenya: A three-day search for a missing woman in Umrembo village, Ugenya sub-county, came to a tragic end after her body was discovered in a shallow grave.
The victim, identified as Lucy Adhiambo Ooko, had been reported missing by her family for three days.
According to Erick Onyango, the Assistant Chief of Kagonya sub-location, the search began after the deceased’s brother-in-law visited her home three times and failed to find her or a domestic worker of Ugandan origin who lived with her.
The brother-in-law then alerted the family, prompting them to launch a search.
The grim discovery was made on Tuesday September 23, morning when the victim’s son, who had returned home to join the search, noticed a fresh mound of soil behind the house in a kitchen garden.
When residents began to unearth the site, they found the body of the missing woman.
The administrator stated that the body was retrieved from the shallow grave by police officers and had visible wounds, suspected to have been caused by a sharp object.
Police processed the scene before moving the body to Ukwala Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
The domestic worker, who has since gone missing, is considered the prime suspect.
The administrator noted that the suspect was not well-known to the community and had been employed by the deceased for only a short period.
In light of the incident, Onyango urged residents to conduct thorough background checks on individuals they hire as domestic workers.
“We expect everybody employing a domestic worker to conduct a serious background search and, if possible, have a letter from their area sub-chief before employment,” he advised.