A widow from Taso Village in Mbarara City South Division is appealing to the government and well-wishers for assistance in repatriating the body of her daughter, who reportedly died under unclear circumstances in China. Syson Karungi, 30, traveled to China in 2023 through a recruitment agency in search of employment opportunities.
After struggling to secure stable work, she relocated to Beijing, where she worked as a casual laborer. However, her employment ended in April, leaving her without work for two months. According to her mother, Mable Bamutorana, the family lost contact with Karungi on January 19, 2024, after her known phone numbers became unreachable. Concerned about her whereabouts, the family made several attempts to trace her but received no information.
Bamutorana says her fears intensified until March 5, 2026, when she received a phone call from a man who identified himself only as an employee of the Uganda Embassy in Dubai. The caller requested contact information for Karungi’s sister, Shyrose Mutungi, but did not provide details regarding Karungi’s disappearance or condition.
She says she later learned of her daughter’s death through Mutungi. The family was informed that Karungi reportedly collapsed and died instantly while having dinner at a restaurant. No medical intervention was reported before her death. Bamutorana says a friend from Lira District who is currently in China informed the family that Chinese police transported Karungi’s body to a morgue located in another province.
She says that, to date, the family has not received an official explanation regarding the cause of death, maintaining that her daughter had never complained of any serious illness. According to Bamutorana, the morgue where the body is being held charges 600 yuan per day, equivalent to approximately twenty thousand shillings.
Seeking assistance, Bamutorana contacted Uganda’s Ambassador to China, but says she was informed that the embassy does not have funds available to facilitate the repatriation of her daughter’s remains. She says she also learned of a Chinese company capable of handling the repatriation process, but the company requested approximately 96 million shillings, an amount far beyond the family’s means.
Bamutorana further expressed frustration over the lack of clear information surrounding her daughter’s death, noting that no one has come forward to confirm being present when the incident occurred. A friend from Lira District currently residing in China reportedly confirmed that police took Karungi’s body to a morgue in another province. Bamutorana has made an urgent appeal to President Yoweri Museveni, government authorities, and well-wishers to help bring her daughter’s body back to Uganda for a dignified burial.
Karungi’s sister, Shyrose Mutungi, says the family remains in contact with individuals willing to facilitate the transportation of the body back home but lacks the necessary funds. Mutungi adds that embassy officials advised the family not to publicly discuss the repatriation process, assuring them that efforts were being made to assist.
The family continues to await official communication regarding the circumstances surrounding Karungi’s death and hopes for support to return her remains home-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
