Kira Road DPC Turyasingura succumbs to Covid-19

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The District Police Commander-DPC Kira Road Division in Kampala last night succumbed to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Assistant Inspector General of Police Asan Kasingye said that the Superintendent of Police-SP Mathias Turyasingura succumbed to COVID-19 last night at Mulago National Referral hospital.

“You were a good commander, patriotic, disciplined and always concerned with the welfare of your officers. DPC, you fought crime in Kira Road with zest and zeal. Rest in Peace comrade,” said Kasingye.

Sergeant Eddie Semitego, the head of community policing at Old-Kira road police division and a close friend to the deceased told Uganda Radio Network that Turyasingura fell sick a fortnight ago and left office.

The next day, the deceased communicated to his colleagues that he was receiving treatment at one of the clinics in Mpererwe, a Kampala city suburb where he has been residing, but the situation deteriorated over weekend. He was transferred to Mulago Referral Hospital on Sunday evening where a COVID-19 test was taken and returned positive.

At the time of his death according to Semitego, the deceased had received only one round of the COVID-19 vaccination jab as did most other officers.

Semitego said they are waiting for official communication from Turyasingura’s family and relatives, and the Uganda Police Force about the arrangements of his burial.

The deceased from Kabale district joined police in 2007 when Gen Kale Kayihura was the Inspector General of Police. He did an intermediate course at Kaweweta, completed senior command and staff course before he was posted as DPC Kira Road replacing Michael Kasigire who had by then transferred to Entebbe.

In March, the police launched a COVID-19 vaccination exercise for its personnel at an event that was presided over by Chief of Joint Security –CJS Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba at Naguru police headquarters.

Dr Moses Byaruhanga, the Director of Police Health Services recently told Uganda Radio Network that so far only 7,833 police officers in Kampala have turned up for the COVID-19 vaccination.

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