Ugandan Security Forces Arrest Kidnapping Suspect

Ugandan security forces have arrested Derrick Memory, a 30-year-old resident of Rukarara village in Kanungu District, in connection with the 2019 kidnapping of American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her guide, Jean-Paul Mirenge Remezo.

• Derrick Memory, a resident of Rukarara village, was arrested in connection with the 2019 kidnapping of an American tourist and her guide
• The kidnapping took place in Queen Elizabeth National Park, with a ransom demand of US$500,000
• Memory was hiding in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and was collaborating with armed criminal gangs

The kidnapping occurred on April 2, 2019, during an evening drive on the Edward Track between the Katoke Gate and Wilderness Camp in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of US$500,000 for the release of Endicott and Remezo. Both were released unharmed four days later following negotiations between Ugandan and US authorities.

According to Major Kiconco Tabaro, spokesman for the 2nd Infantry Division of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), Memory was hiding in North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and collaborating with armed criminal gangs operating in areas such as Buganza, Nyamirima, Kasoso, and Goma City. He was arrested on May 4, 2025, after returning to Uganda through a porous border crossing.

Following his arrest, security personnel seized wildlife products and military paraphernalia from Memory. Authorities continue to pursue three other suspects believed to be operating across the Uganda-DRC border.

The arrest is considered a significant breakthrough for tourist safety and maintaining Uganda's reputation as a safe destination.

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