After years of heartbreak, confusion, and a drawn-out court battle, Bishop Asili Memorial Nursery and Primary School in Kabale Municipality has helped reunite Bethany Nimurungi, a former pupil, with her father, Tadeo Ruzindantaro, a reunion that many feared would never happen.
Nimurungi disappeared in 2018 after her mother, Mercy Kirande, who now resides in South Africa, requested permission to take her daughter to Kampala for medical treatment, citing stomach complications. But Nimurungi never returned. Her sudden disappearance sparked panic, grief, and eventually, a legal dispute between her father and the school.
For nearly Four years, Nimurungi’s whereabouts remained a mystery, until 2023, when coordinated police investigations, supported by Bishop Asili Memorial, finally uncovered the truth: Kirande, along with a woman identified as Phiona Rukundo, had removed the girl from school and kept her hidden.
Then-Uganda Police Spokesperson SCP Fred Enanga confirmed that the successful rescue was the result of extensive tracking efforts.
The breakthrough marked a turning point in the case, and Nimurungi and Rukundo were soon transported back to Kabale Central Police Station, where the case had originally been filed. Rukundo was detained, while Bethany was placed in the care of Monica Muhumuza, the Senior Probation and Social Welfare Officer for Kabale District.
The deportation and safe return of Nimurungi sparked jubilation across Kabale, particularly at Bishop Asili Memorial, where staff and students had long prayed for her safe recovery.
However, the story did not end there.
In her statement to authorities, Nimurungi expressed strong resistance to living with her biological father, citing years of alleged mistreatment by her stepmother, Innocent, including beatings that caused nosebleeds whenever she wet the bed.
According to the welfare report compiled by Muhumuza, Bethany also expressed deep concern about the lack of parental care shown to her siblings and doubted her father’s ability to support her education.
Nimurungi claimed she knew little about her father’s occupation and alleged that her stepmother ran a salon using remittances from her mother, funds meant for Nimurungi’s education. At the time, she was a Senior One student at St. Julian High School in Gayaza, Wakiso District, fully supported by her mother through Rukundo.
Taking into account the emotional and psychological factors at play, Muhumuza recommended that Nimurungi remain under the guardianship of Rukundo, with supervised visitation rights granted to her father. She also advised that both father and daughter undergo progressive counseling to support eventual reconciliation.
On September 29, 2023, Justice Samuel Emokor, then presiding over Kabale High Court, issued a consent judgment in which Ruzindantaro agreed to the terms. Nimurungi would continue living with Rukundo as her legal guardian, while he would maintain access rights.
And yet, in a surprising and heartening twist, sources confirm that Ruzindantaro has since successfully reconnected with his daughter, a moment of healing made possible through ongoing efforts from Bishop Asili Memorial Nursery and Primary School.
“We’re incredibly thankful that Nimurungi is safe,” said Sister Margret Tusiime, the school’s head teacher. “This has been a heavy burden for us, emotionally and legally. All we ever wanted was to see this child protected and given the chance to thrive.”
Today, the story of Bethany Nimurungi, from her disappearance to her eventual rescue and reunification, stands as a powerful testament to the role schools play as more than just centers of education. They are trusted protectors, fierce advocates, and sometimes, the final hope when everything else fails.
And now, as a father holds his daughter once more, a long chapter of sorrow begins to close and a new chapter, filled with cautious hope, begins.
