Tragedy Strikes as DNA Revelations Shatter Diplomat’s Family

A senior Zimbabwean diplomat based in Uganda is facing a profound personal crisis after discovering that two of the five children he had raised as his own are not biologically his.

In a heartbreaking twist, his youngest son—one of only two confirmed as his biological children—died under suspicious circumstances, leading to the arrest of his estranged wife.

Chris Rugari’s nightmare began with a shocking phone call from a stranger who claimed to be the biological father of one of Rugari’s children and demanded to collect the child from Rugari’s home. Initially dismissing the call as a hoax, Rugari shared the incident with his wife, Mutesi Joline, who brushed it off as an attempt to destabilize their family.

However, doubt began to gnaw at Rugari. Secretly, he ordered DNA tests on three of the children. The results left him devastated—only the eldest child was biologically his. Shaken by the betrayal, Rugari proceeded to file for divorce.

As part of the legal process, the court mandated a full DNA screening for all five children, with samples collected in the presence of both legal teams. But before the results could be released, tragedy struck.

Just a day before the scheduled release of the results, Rugari’s youngest child, a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, died in what was initially reported as a fall through a window. At first, both families accepted Joline’s explanation, but a close family friend voiced concerns and advised involving the police before burial arrangements were made. This recommendation led to a delay that Joline reportedly found upsetting, as she had planned a quick burial.

Police investigations uncovered a troubling detail: the window through which the child allegedly fell was sealed shut. A DNA test on the deceased child confirmed he was Rugari’s biological son—the only other child confirmed as his besides the eldest.

Joline has since been taken into custody and is expected to face charges in court.

In a public statement, Rugari expressed his anguish:

“I once believed I had a loving and loyal wife. If I had died back then, I would’ve thanked God for blessing me with such a family. But everything changed in September 2023 when I discovered that two of our three oldest children weren’t mine. That’s when everything fell apart.

Now, misleading narratives are being pushed to distract people from the real issue—how a two-year-old child can fall from a first-floor window, land on a hard surface, show no visible injuries, and still die. It defies medical logic. And yet, my wife insists it was just a tragic accident.”

Rugari urged the public not to be swayed by misinformation:

“All I want is the truth about what happened to my son. I’m in mourning. Just a year ago, I had a family I loved. Today, my wife is in jail on suspicion of killing our child, two of the children I raised aren’t mine, and my youngest son is dead under suspicious circumstances. I hope the public and media can give me space to grieve.”