In October 2015, Sophia Koetsier, a 21 year old Dutch medical student, vanished during a trip through Uganda after completing a hospital internship in Kampala. Ten years later, her disappearance remains unresolved, and her family continues to challenge the official explanation offered by authorities.
Sophia arrived in Uganda on September 1, 2015, to work for eight weeks at Lubaga Hospital in Kampala. According to her family, she regularly sent detailed updates home and was positive about her experience. After finishing her internship, she joined two Dutch students and a local guide for a two week tour across the country.
Concerns began during the trip when Sophia showed signs of emotional distress. Her family later confirmed that she had been managing bipolar disorder since her teenage years and that exhaustion and overstimulation could trigger episodes. Friends traveling with her reported unusual behavior on October 26, 2015, while staying at Kidepo Valley National Park.
Despite warnings from a local tourism official to take Sophia to a hospital, the group continued their journey. On October 28, 2015, they arrived at Murchison Falls National Park. That same day, Sophia called her mother from a boat on the Nile, sounding excited and calm, according to family accounts.
Later that afternoon, the group rested at the Uganda Wildlife Authority Student Centre in Paraa. Around 6:00 p.m., Sophia said she was going to the restroom and walked toward the outbuildings. She never returned.
When Sophia did not come back, her friends and park staff searched the area. Rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority joined the effort. Her mother, Marije Slijkerman, was notified that evening and traveled immediately to the park.
Search efforts expanded the following day. Along the banks of the Nile, investigators found a water bottle belonging to Sophia. Over the next two days, more personal items were recovered nearby, including sunglasses, a boot, a coin purse, torn pieces of her trousers, and her underwear found high in a tree.
Despite these findings, Ugandan authorities concluded that Sophia likely died in a fatal accident, possibly involving wildlife. No human remains or blood were found. Sophia’s family strongly disputes this conclusion, saying the scene did not match an animal attack and that key evidence was overlooked.
The Dutch embassy and Dutch police later assisted, including drone searches of the area. Still, no trace of Sophia was found. The case faded from public attention, but her mother continued pushing for answers through independent efforts and international advocacy.
In 2020, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni agreed to reopen the investigation, which formally resumed in 2022. DNA testing later conducted by a private laboratory in the United States identified an unknown male DNA profile on several of Sophia’s belongings, according to her family. The findings have not been publicly disputed but have also not led to charges.
Authorities also reviewed the actions of the tour guide, Michael Kijjambu, who lacked proper certification at the time of the trip. He appeared in court in 2025, but the case was eventually dropped after no verdict was reached.
Today, more than a decade after Sophia Koetsier disappeared, the investigation’s status remains unclear. Her family continues to seek transparency, accountability, and a full explanation of what happened in Murchison Falls National Park.