Police in Arua City have launched investigations to trace the mother of a two-day-old baby boy who was abandoned in a forest near River Enyau on Wednesday evening.
The child was found by the area Village Chairperson, who alerted authorities, prompting officers from the Child and Family Protection Unit to rush to the scene and rescue the child. According to police, the infant who was wrapped in a clean cloth was immediately taken to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for a medical examination to assess his health condition. By press time, he remained under care in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The identity of the child’s mother remains unknown, and the circumstances surrounding the abandonment are still unclear. However, the police have appealed to members of the public to provide any information that could help investigators identify the mother and reunite the child with his family.
Addressing the media on Thursday, the West Nile Regional Police Public Relations Officer, SSP Josephine Angucia, confirmed that an inquiry file had been opened to facilitate investigations.
Angucia urged parents and guardians to act responsibly and refrain from abandoning, deserting, or neglecting children, noting that such actions constitute criminal offences under the law.
Meanwhile, Robert Adriko, a resident of Yigatia Cell in Arua Central Division, cautioned young people against entering into relationships before they are emotionally and financially prepared to assume parental responsibilities. He said a lack of preparedness often contributes to cases of child abandonment and abortion, as some young people fear the responsibilities that come with raising a child.
“Such kinds of things are not good. A young girl who is not able to manage such a situation should avoid getting involved in it because failure to take responsibility is what drives many young people to abortion and abandoning babies,” Adriko said.
According to the 2025 Police Annual Crime Report, a total of 1,205 cases of child desertion were reported across Uganda, accounting for a significant share of the 8,064 child-related offences recorded during the year-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
