Police in Vihiga County have arrested a man accused of dumping his two-month-old baby into River Ehedwe near Mbale following a custody dispute with the child’s mother.

The incident was reported by the nursing manager at Mbale Rural Hospital on April 20, 2026, at about 10:30 a.m., after a group of people stormed the facility demanding to be given a two-month-old child. The group claimed the baby had been brought to the hospital the previous evening by the father, identified as Francis Izava.

Hospital management informed them that no such child had been admitted and alerted police, who arrived at the scene, found the aggrieved family members, and escorted them to Mbale Police Station.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the child’s parents, Francis Izava and Stacy Andeso, had separated and were embroiled in a dispute over custody of their two-month-old baby, Arian Sky Mwakiriza.

Police say the father allegedly took the child and disappeared. The mother later traced him to their homestead, but the baby was missing. Izava reportedly claimed he had taken the child to Mbale Rural Hospital for placement at a children’s rescue centre.

However, when the family visited the hospital the following morning, they were informed the child was not there, prompting further investigations.

After interrogation by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspect allegedly confessed to dumping the child in a nearby stream on the night of April 19.

He later led officers to the scene, where only a pair of the child’s socks was recovered. The baby has yet to be found despite an extensive search.

Both parents remain in custody at Mbale Police Station as investigations continue.