Jolin Rugari, wife to Chris Rugari, the Honorary Consul of Zimbabwe to Uganda, has been committed to the High Court for trial over the alleged murder of her two-year-old son, Nganwa Rugari.
Mrs. Rugari is accused of killing her child in April this year. Her housemaid, Robinah Nabbanja, has also been committed to the High Court after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) confirmed that investigations into the eight-month-old case were complete.
Appearing before Grade One Magistrate Frank Namanya, both Rugari and Nabbanja faced charges, Rugari for murder, and Nabbanja for aiding and concealing evidence.
“Between April 1 and April 2, with malice aforethought, Jolin unlawfully murdered Nganwa. This court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter; all you need to know is the nature of the charges,” the presiding magistrate stated.
According to the prosecution, on the evening of April 1, 2025, the child allegedly fell from the first floor of a building. Rugari reportedly rushed him to Kitintale Hospital, where he was examined and discharged with a recommendation for a CT scan. However, he was brought back to the hospital around 5 a.m. the following morning in critical condition and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Initial medical observations indicated no visible physical injuries on the child’s body. Rugari was arrested on Sunday following several concerning discoveries—most notably, that the window from which the child allegedly fell was permanently shut.
Further investigations revealed that in 2023, DNA tests on the couple’s three eldest children—aged 14, 12, and 10 showed that two were not biologically related to Mr. Rugari.
Consequently, the court ordered paternity tests for all five children, including the deceased two-year-old and his 12-month-old sister. The test for the youngest two had been scheduled for April 2, 2025 the same day Nganwa was pronounced dead.
