A Ugandan businessman from Nakasongola district has regained his freedom from kidnappers after his family reportedly paid $7,500 ransom.

Robert Mugabe, a resident of Busoni village in Kituba parish, Nakasongola district of Uganda was traveling with three other business people on August 3 when he was kidnapped.

Mugabe was travelling with Patrick Bukora, a businessman from Migyera in Nakasongora district, Julius Saturday from Busia in eastern Uganda and Sauda Nassolo, a businesswoman from Kiyola, Nakasongola district.

Gunmen dressed in suspected Congolese military uniform waylaid their victims who were travelling in a truck reg. no. UAB 196J near the Southern Gate Army Barracks in Kanungu district. They were transporting fish from Kasese to Ishasha in Kanungu district.

The gunmen who emerged from Queen Elizabeth national park reportedly started shooting randomly and injured three of their victims. They kidnapped Mugabe and later contacted his family later using his mobile phone number demanding for a ransom of $20,000 for his release.

Kigezi region police spokesperson Ely Maate says Mugabe’s family negotiated with the kidnappers to reduce the ransom money from $20,000 to $7,500. He says Mugabe’s family sent the money prompting his kidnappers to escort him to Ishasha border in the wee hours of Tuesday morning where they set him free.

The Ugandan Observer