LOVE, FLIGHT & MURDER: The Two-Nation Hunt for Nakiwala Vanessa
Kampala / Juba — It reads like the script of a crime thriller, but for Nakiwala Vanessa, this is a real-life saga stretching across borders, families, and law enforcement systems.
Missing since 2022, Vanessa has become the centre of a complex cross-border case — sought by both relatives and security agencies in Uganda and South Sudan. At the heart of the matter are allegations tied to her past relationship and a separate, far more serious investigation into the reported killing of her alleged companion.
As the search intensifies, so do the risks.
Flight from Uganda
Sources indicate that Vanessa fled Uganda between 2019 and 2020 following intense backlash from her community over allegations of a same-sex relationship. In many conservative settings, such claims often trigger stigma, family breakdown, and social exclusion.
According to accounts obtained by this publication, Vanessa and her associate, Sarah Lukwago, were allegedly discovered by relatives in a compromising situation. Police were reportedly alerted, but the two had already disappeared by the time officers responded.
A case file was subsequently opened by Kampala Metropolitan Police. Authorities say the pair could not be traced, effectively placing them on the police watch list.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire confirmed that the file remains active, though he declined to divulge operational details due to the sensitivity of the matter.
A Turn Into Darkness
The case took a more troubling turn after reports emerged that the two women had crossed into South Sudan.
Unverified accounts circulating within migrant communities suggest that Sarah Lukwago may have been killed under unclear circumstances after being discovered in another alleged relationship. While these claims remain unconfirmed, they have triggered parallel inquiries.
Police sources acknowledge that a file relating to Sarah’s death has been opened, with Ugandan authorities engaging counterparts in South Sudan.
“We are following up multiple leads,” Owoyesigire said, adding that investigations are ongoing on both sides of the border.
Legal and Security Risks
Legal observers note that the situation places Vanessa in a precarious position. If located, she could face questioning or prosecution in more than one jurisdiction, depending on the findings of ongoing investigations.
They also caution that cases involving alleged moral offences in the region often attract strong community reactions, which can escalate beyond legal processes.
Authorities have urged members of the public with credible information to report to the nearest police station.
A Mother’s Search
Amid the legal and investigative maze, a deeply personal story continues to unfold.
Vanessa’s mother, according to sources, has spent months moving across border towns, churches, and migrant communities in search of her daughter. With limited resources and support, she is said to be following every lead — however faint.
While some relatives reportedly cut ties years ago, she has chosen to persist.
For her, this is not about allegations or investigations.
It is about finding her child.
Questions Without Answers
Key questions remain unresolved: Where is Nakiwala Vanessa? Is she still within the region? And what exactly happened to Sarah Lukwago?
With an active police file in Kampala, a parallel inquiry linked to South Sudan, and conflicting accounts from community networks, the case continues to raise more questions than answers.
For now, Vanessa remains untraceable — a figure at the centre of a widening investigation, and the subject of a search that spans borders, institutions, and a mother’s unyielding hope.
The post LOVE, FLIGHT & MURDER: The Two-Nation Hunt for Nakiwala Vanessa appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.
