Missing MUBS student found dead
The spokesperson of the Traffic and Road Safety Police, Mr Michael Kananura. Photo | Kananura’s X handle
What you need to know:
- Lawrence Opesen, 21, was the son of Dr Felix Ocom, the deputy manager of Uganda National Institute of Public Health at Kyambogo.
A student of Makerere University Business School (Mubs) who was reported missing has been discovered in a mortuary after he was involved in an accident.
Lawrence Opesen, 21, was the son of Dr Felix Ocom, the deputy manager of Uganda National Institute of Public Health at Kyambogo.
Prof Moses Muhwezi, the principal of Mubs, said: “Lawrence was in his first year, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He was a resident of Betsam Hostel in Nakawa, and was reported missing a week ago and we filed the matter with the police.”
Prof Muhwezi said on the fateful day, Opesen reportedly destroyed all property in his room before disappearing.
“We gather that he seemed to have a mental challenge, which must have been the reason he succumbed to an accident,” he said.
An obituary by St Mary’s Secondary School, Kitende, where Opesen was an alumnus, said the death of their former student, who belonged to the 2022 cohort, saddened them.
“We mourn the passing of one of our own, Opesen Lawrence (class of 2022), whose passing was confirmed from a tragic accident after he went missing for two weeks. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved and may Lawrence’s soul rest in eternal peace,” the obituary posted on X, formerly Twitter, read.
The accident that claimed the life of Ospene is said to have been captured on CCTV cameras on Nakawa road.
Mr Amon Amanya, the Guild President at Mubs, told this publication that the information around the disappearance of Opesen was scanty but after reporting the matter to police, they were shocked to learn days later that he had died.
“It is alleged that he was depressed during the days that preceded his disappearance. At his hostel, he destroyed his property and days later, he went missing,” Mr Amanya told this publication.
The deceased, who was reportedly ran over by a speeding vehicle, will be buried on Friday in Chodong Parish in Kidongole Sub-county, Bukedea District.
By press time, the spokesperson of the Traffic and Road Safety Police, Mr Michael Kananura, had not responded to our queries on the matter.
Accident report
The accident report by the traffic police last year shows that of the total crashes reported, 4,179 were fatal, 12,487 serious and 6,942 were minor crashes. The report indicated that there were 24,728 casualties in 2023 compared to 21,473 in 2022, showing a 15 percent increase in the number of casualties.
