Four arrested over death of suspect in police custody

Wakiso, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Four people have been arrested following the death of a suspect in police custody in Matuga, Wakiso district. Those arrested include property broker Godfrey Mayende, a local council chairperson of Kavule village Dennis Bulime, Allen Nanfuka, and another unidentified man.

It is alleged that the suspects in collusion with police officers at Jjagala police post arrested and assaulted John Kisero, jointly with four of his relatives before they were detained at Matuga police station.

Family members said that Kisero sustained injuries from the assault, leading to his death while his relatives were remanded to Buwambo prison on charges of alleged criminal trespass.

Sources at Matuga police said that Kisero died in the police cells and the body was quietly taken to Mulago city mortuary where attendants called the family to pick the body. A copy of the police bond obtained from the family shows that Kisero had earlier been charged with criminal trespass and granted bond before he was arrested again.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson, Luke Oweyesigire says that Kisero did not die from police custody. He said that Kisero died at Buwambo health center where he had been admitted for three days.

Oweyesigire says that the Professional Standards Unit-PSU has started investigations against the Officer in charge of Criminal Investigations, Clare Kamugungize. He says that she was summoned by the CID headquarters and PSU on accusations of misconduct.

According to Oweyesigire, the police officers at Jjagala will be transferred to other stations and redeployed because they did not participate in the arrest of the deceased Kisero.

He said that it is the police from Matuga that participated in the arrest of the deceased and other family members.

According to the police, the case resulted from a land dispute where Nanfuka was imprisoned for intermeddling with Kisero’s property.

Stephen Sebunya, one of the family members said that they have been living in fear after Mayengo and Nanfuka threatened to kill them for protesting their move to take over and sell the disputed land.

It is alleged that Nanfuka in collusion with Mayende fraudulently transferred the land title of their late grandfather, Amos Kibirige without the knowledge and consent of other family members. Sebunya said that upon learning about the fraudulent transfer, the family protested but Nanfuka working with the police at Jjagala and Matuga embarked on arresting them over numerous forged charges.

The land in dispute was registered in the names of Amos Kibirige on behalf of the family of their grandfather, the late Rev. Yafesi Kibirige in 2017 after negotiations with the original landlord.

After Kibirige’s death in 2020, Nanfuka allegedly transferred the land into her name jointly with Mayende. The late Kisero and other family members were relatives to Nanfuka and resided on part of the disputed land.

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