US Embassy probes death of its citizen in police cells

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The US Embassy in Kampala has reportedly embarked on probing the circumstances under which its citizen Eric Nkusi died in Entebbe police cells. Nkusi died in Entebbe police cells after being arrested for illegally staying in Uganda.

Nkusi, who also had roots in Burundi, was arrested last Friday after he was found living in Uganda for several weeks, yet his Visa had expired. It is alleged that Nkusi was a drug addict who started shivering inside cells.

Police sources said Nkusi demanded to be provided with heroin, which he was allegedly addicted to, but police officers just laughed it off and directed him to wait to go back to his home country and have access to the illegal drugs.

“Nkusi was a drug addict and demanded to have access to drugs or else he was going to die. But police officers just scoffed at him, claiming he was acting. But to their shock, Nkusi was found dead the next day inside police cells,” sources said.

Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, said he had yet to be briefed about Nkusi’s death. However, it has emerged that police officers at Entebbe police station are currently accusing each other of having acted negligently, leading to Nkusi’s demise.

Sources have revealed that the American Embassy in Kampala has since sent a team to establish the circumstances under which Nkusi died. The US Embassy, according to sources, has asked Kampala metropolitan police leadership to provide concrete answers regarding Nkusi’s death.

Police officers who were on duty since Friday when Nkusi was arrested and throughout the weekend are now the subject of interrogation and prosecution in the police force’s disciplinary court based at Naguru police headquarters.

Nkusi’s body has since been conveyed to Kampala City mortuary for a postmortem. Police have recorded statements from some of the police officers and citizens who were at the station when Nkusi was arrested.

******

URN