Police in Manafwa District, located in Eastern Uganda’s Bugisu sub-region, are investigating the death of a 26-year-old man who died while in custody at Buwagogo Police Station, where he was being held on defilement charges.
The deceased, identified as Emma Mooli Webale, a peasant from Namisindwa District, reportedly died by suicide inside the police cells.
“It is suspected that Mooli, who was facing defilement allegations, took his life by hanging himself with a pair of trousers while in custody,” said Mr. Rogers Taitika, the Elgon Region Police Spokesperson.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
Police said Mooli was accused of defiling a 15-year-old girl in 2023. The case was reported after the girl’s parents discovered she was pregnant. Mooli allegedly fled to Kenya after learning of the pregnancy but returned last week, leading to his arrest.
His body was transported to Mbale City mortuary for a postmortem examination and will later be handed over to his family for burial in Namisindwa District.
A police officer at Buwagogo Station, who requested anonymity, said the suspect appeared healthy at the time of his arrest on April 22, 2025.
“We were arranging to transfer him to Manafwa Central Police Station for further processing, but unfortunately, we later found him dead. We are now awaiting the autopsy results to confirm the exact cause of death,” the officer stated.
Uganda has recorded several cases of detainees dying in police cells, with many attributed to suicide.
The Ugandan Constitution under Article 23(4) states that anyone arrested or detained must be presented in court within 48 hours unless released earlier. This is to prevent prolonged detention without judicial oversight.
Would you like this shortened for a news brief or rewritten for a radio script?
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
