Police now say guards beat up Makerere student

New details have emerged that private security guards protecting Centenary Bank are among the people that participated in the beating of the third-year Veterinary student of Makerere University, who died seven days after the incident.

Emmanuel Tegu was allegedly beaten up by people near Lumumba Hall in Makerere University on June 27. He died seven days later at Mulago hospital, where he had been admitted.

Tegu’s death has raised several contradictions and left unanswered questions.
His relatives said he told them while in hospital that he was beaten by security personnel while police claim he was a victim of mob action inside the campus after he was suspected to be a thief.

Two guards attached to SGA, a private security firm, have been arrested and another is still on the run.

Police now say one of the guards has admitted in his police statement of having participated in the beating and he and other suspects, around nine, were taken to Makerere University for reconstruction of the scene of crime yesterday.

Witness says
According to statements the police recorded yesterday, Fr Josephat Ddungu, the St Augustine Chaplain, told police that he heard gunshots fired and later when he opened the window, he saw someone being pursued and beaten by private security guards.

Fr Ddungu is one of the spiritual leaders in charge of the spiritual affairs of the students and the staff at Makerere University.

The priest told the police that he later came out of his house and ordered the guards and other people in civilian clothes to stop beating the man, who later was identified as Tegu.

Fr Ddungu yesterday did not entertain questions about the events leading to Tegu’s mysterious death, but said he would address a press conference today at 11am at his office.

It is in the press conference that the CCTV footage of what happened is expected to be played.

There have been unanswered questions as to why the police officer(s), who had contact with the deceased before he was allegedly attacked by the mob did not act while he was beaten.

Police say
Police spokesman Fred Enanga yesterday said the officer, Constable Farouk Mukose, who found Tegu behind the university main building at around 10pm, could not leave his area of jurisdiction, but he called his supervisor and informed him about what had happened.

“Constable Mukose was alone at the building and when he saw the deceased and engaged, but found him aggressive, he fired three bullets in the air to stop Tegu from charging against him. The deceased later ran to St Augustine Chapel side,” Mr Enanga said.

The deceased, according to police, is alleged to have had a mental illness that used to give him abnormal behaviours.

Mr Enanga, however, admitted that there could have been weaknesses in the handling of the case by the police officer nearby or his supervisors following up on the matter.

The police had not investigated the beating of Tegu and later his death as per the institution standards.
On Sunday, the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi, abruptly cut short a briefing by the commanders of Kampala Metropolitan Police after they failed to get him a satisfactory explanation as to why no one had been arrested over the incident.

Gen Muzeeyi ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects.
The deceased was a son of a police sergeant attached to Wakiso District.