The territorial police in Kampala Metropolitan, charged two foster parents, of American origin, to Buganda Road Court on the 09.12.2022, with the Aggravated torture of their 10-year-old son, and they were remanded till the 14.12.2022. The facts gathered indicate that, Nicholas Spencer aged 32 and his wife Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, a 32-year-old, volunteer, fostered 3 children, including Kayima John, in 2018, from Welcome Ministry, in Jinja City. The suspects came to Uganda in 2017, and started working with Akola Project, based in Jinja. The couple joined Motive Creation Agency, and moved with their children to Upper Naguru, where they have been staying together.
It was however, realised that between the year, 2020 and December 2022, the couple constantly tortured, a one Kayima John, a 10-year-old pupil of Dawn Children’s Center in Ntinda, which attracted the attention of neighbours. They alerted the police at Kira Road Division and investigations commenced. Our team of investigators established, that the couple kept the victim barefoot, and naked throughout the day, would occasionally make him squat in an awkward position, with his head facing the floor and hands spread out widely, he spent his nights on a wooden platform, without a mattress or beddings and was served cold meals from the fridge. We believe, the victim could have endured more severe acts of torture, away from the camera.
We want to thank the neighbours, teachers and the victim, for taking the courage to stand-up against acts of child torture. We also call upon al probation offices and social workers, to continuously monitor the well-being of children in foster homes, to guard against handing over vulnerable children to abusive foster parents, or other forms of harm. For instance, what happened to the victim, in the last couple of years, probably could have been prevented, if they had closely monitored the well-being of the foster children.
The suspects came to Uganda in 2017, where Nicholas started working with AKOLA Project based in Jinja. In 2018, they fostered 3 children including the victim from Welcome Ministry – Jinja. They moved to Kampala when they joined Motive Creation Agency, with their 3 children.
SCP Enanga Fred
Police Spokesperson
12th December 2022
