Suspect in 2019 kidnapping of American tourist arrested in Kanungu

Derrick Memory, a 30-year-old resident of Rukarara village, Kanungu district has been arrested in connection with the 2019 kidnapping of American tourist Kimbley Sue Endecott.

Endecott, 35, and her guide, Jean Paul Remezo, were abducted at gunpoint on April 2, 2019, during an evening drive along the Edward Track between Katoke Gate and Wilderness Camp in Queen Elizabeth national park.

The kidnappers demanded a ransom of $500,000 (approximately Shs 1.8 billion) for their release. Two other tourists, Julius Martin and his wife Barbel, were left unharmed but stranded after the attackers made off with the vehicle’s keys.

The incident sparked national and international concern over security in Uganda’s tourism sector. Endecott was later released alive in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after an undisclosed ransom was reportedly paid.

Maj Kiconco Tabaro, public information officer for the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) 2nd Infantry Division, confirmed Memory’s arrest. He said the suspect had been hiding in North Kivu Province in eastern DRC, where he was collaborating with armed criminal gangs operating in Buganza, Nyamirima, Kasoso, and even as far as Goma city.

Memory was apprehended after crossing back into Uganda through a porous border point. Upon arrest, security personnel recovered wild animal products and military paraphernalia from him.

He had reportedly been on security’s wanted list for years, frequently slipping across the Uganda-DRC border through points like Rwamagali and Bukunkulima to avoid detection. Security agencies are continuing the pursuit of three other suspects believed to be operating across the Uganda-DRC border.