Masaka officials probe death of two suspects in police custody

Police officers in Masaka Sub-region are investigating circumstances under which two detained suspects died under police custody on Wednesday morning.

At the time of death, the two were held at Masaka Central Police Station and Kikuta Police Post in Bukomansimbi District respectively. 

According to Mr Muhammad Nsubuga, the southern region police spokesperson , Ronald Kyeyune, 30, was arrested in the wee hours of Wednesday morning after a break-in incident at Fr Richard Mugisha’s home in  Bisanje Catholic Parish in Kimaanya –Kabonera Municipality , Masaka City while Jorum Rwakahinga ,30, a resident  of Kabulasoke Village, Bukomansimbi District had reportedly defiled his two  biological daughters .

He said Kyeyune was arrested by vigilantes protecting villages at night that later alerted police.  

“He [Kyeyune] was rescued by police at around 1am without visible signs of any injuries, but later, he developed complications and he died as he was being rushed to the Masaka Regional Referral Hospital,” he said.

“As we wait for a post-mortem report, we have also opened a general inquiry file on the circumstance that caused the death of Kyeyune,” Mr Nsubuga added.

According to Fr Mugisha, the deceased vandalized the wind screen of his car before starting the engine.

“When he started the engine, he also hooted several times and one of the workers at the parish got out and thought it was me as he mimicked my voice asking her to open the gate,” he said.  

Fr Mugisha said in the due process, the vigilantes at the village came as the worker was about to open the gate.

“They [vigilantes]  came and entered the gate asked the worker  what has happened to  me and checked the car only to find a naked man with oil smeared  all over his body,” he told Daily Monitor.

For Rwakahinga, Mr Nsubuga said his body was found dangling in Kikuta Police Post cells after midnight, Tuesday. The suspect used a piece of his undergarment to hang himself.

 “He [Rwakahinga] has been on cases of aggravated defilement after defiling his two biological daughters and infected them with HIV/Aids- and- threatened to kill his mother over property,” he said.   

However, it is not clear how he committed suicide in the presence of the suspects.

“We are interrogating the other suspects to establish how and why Rwakahinga committed suicide in their presence,” Mr Nsubuga said.