A receptionist of a guest house in Katwe zone, Bugembe town, Jinja north city division, has been taken into police custody for allegedly allocating a room to a 35-year-old man to defile his 14-year-old daughter.
Receptions among other roles; greet guests as they come in, manage the check-in and check-out process, answer questions and requests, and help with administrative tasks at the front desk.
But police say the 20-year-old suspect “looked on and provided hospitality services” as the father hung out with his underage daughter he reportedly defiled “at least twice”.
The Kiira region police spokesperson, Mr James Mubi, said the suspect was arrested because she failed to provide information about what was going on between the man and the young girl, yet she knew it.
“We have arrested a receptionist for concealing and providing accommodation to a person committing the offence of defiling a 14-year-old daughter,” Mr Mubi said in an interview on Wednesday.
He added: “It is illegal for lodge owners to allow people with minors into their facilities yet there are older ladies.”
Mr Mubi said they are following leads suggesting that the father had had sex with the daughter “at least nine times”, including seven (times) at his residence in Katende Triangle village, Bugembe town, Jinja north city division, and twice from the guest house.
Residents reported the pair’s incestuous romance to police after noticing the father’s perceived preferential treatment of his daughter over two other children left behind by their mother who went to Saudi Arabia for kyeyo (work abroad)
According to the residents, some of the father’s alleged favouritism included taking the daughter to this guest house for drinks and eats, which he was not doing for her two younger brothers.
The chairperson women’s council for Katende-triangle zone, Ms Fauza Namiiro, described as “unfortunate” for the father to turn to his daughter for sexual gratification, despite the existence of sex workers.
According to Ms Namiiro, the father started defiling the daughter immediately after her mother went for in-house training to prepare her for kyeyo stint.
The managing director of the Nile Village Hotel, who is also a member of Jinja City Hotel Owners’ Association, Mr Harry Kasigwa, said police were “right” to arrest the receptionist because she “violated hotel regulations”.
“Receptionists are supposed to register visitors, indicating their age, and name to eliminate those who abuse underage girls using hotel facilities,’’ he said, calling for observation of the rules and regulations governing the hotel and hospitality industry.
