New police account raises queries on Mak student death

Kampala- The latest police account on how Makerere University student was killed at the campus has contradicted their initial narrative and raised more queries that point to security culpability.

According to the latest account, the deceased, Emmanuel Tegu, a third-year veterinary student, had contact with police officers before he was fatally beaten 200 metres away from the scene. Tegu died a few days later at Mulago hospital on Saturday.

In the initial statement, police said Tegu was beaten by a mob near Lumumba Hall inside the university campus on June 27.

Police said they received a message from an unknown caller that a person had been beaten by a mob at the campus and officers rushed to the scene where they picked him unconscious and took him to Mulago.
Police denied allegations that Tegu was beaten by Local Defence Unit personnel and police patrolling the campus at night.

However, on Monday, police spokesman Fred Enanga said Tegu had a mental illness and was found by a police patrol team behind the university main building with barely any clothing.
Mr Enanga said Tegu started pelting stones at the police.

“When our officers asked him what he was doing, he tried to run away from them. He became more aggressive as they tried to pursue him and started chasing them with stones. We have CCTV cameras of St Augustine Chapel showing him chasing officers with stones. The victim ran towards St Augustine church and reached Centenary Bank,” he said.

“He later went to the Centenary Bank and attacked two private security guards and one raised an alarm, which led people in the neighbourhood to beat him. Police later received a call from an area councillor that someone was being beaten by a mob and they responded, ” Mr Enanga added.

Police did not show the footage of the incident.

From the place where the police found and engaged Tegu to the scene he was beaten is about 100 metres.
It is not clear why the police did not stop the alleged mob action since the incident happened a stone throw away from where they were.

Police said it was alleged that the mob suspected Tegu to be a thief.

The force denied that their officers and LDUs participated in beating him.

Mr Enanga said seven suspects had been arrested over Tegu’s killing, and three others were still at large.
Tegu’s relatives yesterday declined to talk about the claims on his mental health status.

They said they were still grieving his death and would issue a statement at the right time.
The deceased was a son of a police sergeant working in Wakiso District.

Tasked

On Sunday, Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, abruptly cut short a briefing by the commanders of Kampala Metropolitan Police after they failed to give him a satisfactory explanation why no suspect had been arrested over the homicide. Maj Gen Muzeeyi ordered the police commanders to ensure immediate arrest of the suspects.