Police have charged Jolin Kanoheri, 40, with the murder of her two-year-old son, Nganwa Rugari, in a shocking case that has gripped the nation.
Kanoheri, described as a housewife and resident of Mutungo Zone 8, Nakawa Division in Kampala city, is accused of intentionally killing the child between April 1 and 2, 2025.
The police charge sheet shows that Kanoheri is being charged under Sections 171 and 172 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 128, for murder with malice aforethought.
The charge sheet also implicates a second suspect, Robinah Nabbanja, a 24-year-old maid who lived and worked at the same address.
Nabbanja is facing charges of being an accessory after the fact to murder, under Section 189 of the Penal Code Act. Authorities allege that Nabbanja assisted Kanoheri in attempting to evade justice after knowing that the child had been killed.
“Between the 1st and 2nd day of April, the accused, with malice aforethought, unlawfully murdered Nganwa Rugari,” reads police charge sheet.
The investigating officer, D/SP Akongo Bibiana, officially preferred the charges on April 10, 2025. The file has been stamped and acknowledged by the office of the Resident Chief State Attorney for Nakawa.
Kanoheri has maintained that her son died following a fall from a window in their home, calling the incident a tragic accident.
