A Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger told court that Sophia Koestier, the missing Dutch intern, displayed disturbing behavior during a 2015 trip to Kidepo Valley National Park, shortly before she vanished in Murchison Falls National Park.
Sgt Zachary Logwe Oboya testified before Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Ronald Kayizzi. He identified Michael Kijjambu, the accused unlicensed tour operator, as the driver who brought Koestier and two other women to the park.
“I met them in 2015 at Kidepo. I didn’t recognize him at first, but now I’m sure he’s the one,” Oboya stated.
The group received a tour guide named Daniel Ilukol Chiyo, as park policy dictates. During their stay, Koestier caused concern among the staff. She drank beer, smoked near the campfire, and played loud music.
“She tried to kiss a guide. When we stopped her, she began knocking over plastic chairs and pulling grass out of the ground,” Oboya said.
Park staff remained on alert throughout the night, waiting for the group to settle down. The next morning, they went for a game drive and returned for another night.
Later, visitors informed rangers that one of the women had disappeared in Murchison Falls. “They said the woman who had acted strangely in Kidepo was missing,” Oboya recalled.
During cross-examination, Oboya admitted that he gave his statement seven years later. “I made it after being directed to do so,” he explained. He didn’t recall the names of the tourists and said no one identified themselves as a licensed guide.
State prosecutor Ivan Kyazze asked him to confirm if Kijjambu was the same driver. Oboya affirmed this under re-examination.
Koestier had come to Uganda on a medical internship in October 2015. Her disappearance shocked the tourism and health sectors in Uganda and the Netherlands.
Earlier, the first prosecution witness, former assistant warden Steven Nyadru, testified that Koestier’s behavior alarmed him. He warned Kijjambu not to proceed with their safari and urged him to seek medical help. Despite that, the group traveled to Murchison Falls, where Koestier went missing.
Prosecutors claim that Kijjambu endangered Koestier’s life by conducting an unlicensed safari and ignoring her mental health crisis.
Chief Magistrate Kayizzi adjourned the case to July 7 for further testimony from prosecution witnesses.
