Prison officials accused of torturing inmate to death

LUWEERO -Police in Nakaseke District have foiled a planned protest by residents and relatives of an inmate suspected to have been tortured to death by prison warders at Wakyato Prison in Nakaseke District on Tuesday.

The Mulungi Omu village residents who camped outside Nakaseke Hospital awaiting a post-mortem report detailing circumstances under which Godfrey Sserwada died while in detention at Wakyato Local Government Prison on Sunday had planned to march through Nakaseke Town.

They were, however, stopped by the police who offered to investigate Sserwada’s death after getting the postmortem report.

“The police are investigating the alleged torture of an inmate who later died at the prison facility in Wakyato Local Government Prison in Nakaseke District. We secured Nakaseke Hospital where the post-mortem was being conducted after residents and relatives of the deceased camped outside the hospital compound. The relatives were given the body although they rejected the post-mortem results,” Savanah Region Police Commander, Mr Kyaligonza said on Tuesday.

Mr Samuel Ssenfuka, a relative of the deceased claimed that they received news of Sserwada's death from a resident of Wakyato village after two inmates disclosed that he died after being tortured inside the cells.

“We want the police to conduct an investigation because the inmates have volunteered information regarding the torture of Sserwada before he collapsed and died on Sunday,” Mr Ssenfuka said.

Nakaseke Hospital Administrator, Mr Ntumwa Matovu on Tuesday handed over a post-mortem report that was signed by Dr Bernard Okong, the Hospital Medical Superintendent indicating that the deceased had external bruises on the right arm and the lower abdomen.

The sudden death could have been caused by low blood pressure, the post-mortem report indicated.