A four-year-old pupil has been found dead in a locked vehicle at a police station parking yard, three days after she was reported missing.

Detectives said the decomposing body of Michelle Kasikayire Mana was on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in a Mercedes-Benz car, registration number UAS 720N, which had been kept as an exhibit at Adjumani Police Station parking yard of the Traffic Department for an extended period.

“On March 21, 2026, at approximately 1400 hours, the body of the victim was discovered. She’s the granddaughter of No. 30398 Sgt Lucy Angeyo, attached to Child and Family Protection Unit (CFPU) Adjumani Police Station. The victim was found deceased inside a black Mercedes-Benz vehicle (Reg. No. UAS 720N), which had been parked for an extended period and was kept as an exhibit in the parking yard of the Traffic Department at Adjumani Central Police Station,” said North West Nile Region police spokesperson, SP Collins Asea.

Kasikayire had been reported missing on March 18, 2026 when she reportedly disappeared from her family.

“A thorough investigation was conducted at the scene by Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) and a team of detectives from CPS Adjumani. Post-mortem examination was carried out at the scene using PF48A and PF48C forms by Dr Ambaku Michael,” said SP Asea before adding that Kasikayire’s body was subsequently removed from the scene and taken to Adjumani General Hospital mortuary for further examination and pending transport to the burial site.

According to police, Kasikayire, a pupil at Mummy’s Care Nursery and Primary School in Adjumani District may have entered the parked vehicle to play and, possibly, locked herself inside. “She may have been unable to open the door, leading to suffocation. No physical injuries were observed on the body. The body shows signs of decomposition with maggot infestation. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding this incident,” SP Asea added.

Information gathered by this reporter indicate that Kasikayire’s mother, only identified as Ms Gloria, brought her to stay with her grandmother, Sgt Angeyo (the complainant), at Adjumani Police Barracks. The child had been attending school in the area

Kasikayire is reported to have disappeared from her grandmother at around 3pm at Adjumani Police Station.

“At approximately 1600 hours, the complainant (Sgt Angeyo) realized that the child was missing. Efforts to locate her within the police barracks proved unsuccessful, as children present with the victim claimed they did not know her whereabouts. In response, police deployed a sniffer dog to assist in the search. The dog tracked from the police barracks to Mummy’s Care Nursery and Primary School and further to the Up Town Council offices, where a large crowd had gathered,” SP Asea said.

When search efforts seemed futile, a case file of disappearance (ADJ CRB No. 145/2026) was opened. Statements were collected from witnesses, and CCTV footage from the nursery and surrounding areas were reviewed, but no conclusive evidence was obtained at the time.

“Authorities were issued notices via social media and local radio stations to solicit public assistance in locating the child,” the police publicist said.

In Uganda, several tragic cases of children suffocating in parked or abandoned vehicles have been reported, often occurring while children are playing or when they are left unattended during social gatherings.

Past incidents

Soroti District (October 2024): Three children, aged 6, 10, and 12, died after suffocating in a locked vehicle in Arapai. The children had entered the car unnoticed while their family attended a burial. They were found unresponsive and could not be revived at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital.

Serere District (February 2025): A three-year-old boy named Nicholas Opio died after entering an old, abandoned Toyota Corona that had been parked for over two years due to mechanical issues. He was found unresponsive inside the vehicle in Serere Town Council.

Bweyogerere, Kampala (2022): Police investigated a case where a boy died of suffocation due to extreme heat inside an abandoned, faulty car. The vehicle's doors were reportedly left unlocked because they were broken.

Kyebando, Kampala (March 2008): Two cousins, aged 3 and 4, suffocated after inadvertently locking themselves in a car they were playing in while at home.

Long-term Effects (2017 Case): Not all incidents result in immediate death; a three-year-old girl named Kayla survived being locked in a car for several hours in 2017 but was diagnosed with brain hypoxia, leading to long-term vision and movement impairments.