Chris Rugari, Zimbabwe’s Consular General to Uganda, has broken his silence following the mysterious death of his son, Nganwa Rugari, who reportedly passed away on Wednesday, April 2, under unclear circumstances.
Preliminary findings indicate that on the evening of April 1, 2025, the child allegedly fell from the first floor of a building. Jolin Dusabe Mutesi, the child’s mother, reportedly rushed him to Kitintale Hospital, where he was examined and discharged with a recommendation for a CT scan. However, the child was brought back around 5 a.m. the next morning in critical condition and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Initial observations revealed no visible physical injuries on the body. Dusabe was arrested on Sunday after several concerning findings were uncovered among them, the discovery that the window from which the child allegedly fell was permanently shut.
In 2023, DNA tests conducted on the couple’s three eldest children aged 14, 12, and 10 revealed that two were not biologically related to Rugari. As a result, the court ordered paternity tests for all five children, including the two-year-old and his 12-month-old sister. The test for the youngest two was scheduled for April 2, 2025, the same day Nganwa was pronounced dead.
In a statement released yesterday, Rugari said he had refrained from commenting earlier out of respect for the ongoing police investigation and the grief over what he described as the “brutal and cruel death” of his beloved son.
“I have seen misleading information on some online media claiming that I forced my ex-wife to undergo a hysterectomy after the birth of our first child, and that I somehow gave her permission to cheat and have children outside our marriage. The misinformation also falsely suggests that we were separated between 2011 and 2017,” he stated. “This is not only shocking but deeply disturbing. Whoever fabricated that narrative needs a sobriety test, as it lacks any logical basis.”
Clarifying the timeline, Rugari said, “I married Kanoheri Jolin in 2008. Our first child was born in 2010, followed by our second in 2013, our third in 2015, our fourth in 2022, and the last in 2024.”
He described their relationship as “wonderful and conflict-free” for many years, noting that their first three children were born at Kololo Hospital, where he signed each of their birth certificates. “I took them for immunization, bathed them, cooked for them, dressed them, and supported their education,” he said. The children were enrolled at Kisffer Kindergarten in Bugolobi, then Gemz Cambridge in Butabika, and later attended online school in Lusaka, Zambia, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later, Rugari relocated all the children to Turkey for specialized education in basketball, football, art, and drama. “I had a great bond with all of them,” he added.
He recounted that their fourth child, who recently died, was born at German Saudi Hospital, and he signed the birth certificate. However, by the time their last child was born, tensions had already emerged due to questions around paternity, and he did not sign her birth certificate.
“I was always grateful for what I believed was a faithful and loving wife. I was extremely proud of our family. Had I died before all this came to light, I would have thanked God for giving me a wonderful wife,” he said.
Rugari said everything changed in September 2023, when DNA tests revealed that two of their three eldest children were not his. “That’s when my conflict with Jolin began. Now, she and her associates are trying to shift the narrative to avoid scrutiny of a truly shocking issue: how a two-year-old allegedly falls from a first-floor window which was found closed suffers no visible internal or external injuries, and yet dies. Despite this, she insists it was an accidental fall, even though science does not support that explanation.”
He urged the public not to be misled by misinformation and propaganda meant to distract from uncovering the truth about his son’s death.
“My only concern now is finding out what really happened. I ask the press to give me time to grieve. In 2023, I had a happy family with four children and a loving wife. Today, my wife is in prison, suspected of murdering our child. DNA tests have shown that two of the children are not mine. The only one who was, is now dead under unclear circumstances. This is not easy for me. I hope you understand,” Rugari concluded.
