Luwero, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The body of a Ugandan student who was allegedly killed in Egyptian police cells has been repatriated and laid to rest at his ancestral home in Luwero district.
Ahmad Mukasa Nsanja, a 30-year-old student at Alazhar University in Cairo, Egypt faced arrest on December 27, 2023, due to lacking a valid visa. Subsequently detained at First Settlement police station, his family received communication from the Ugandan Embassy in Cairo on January 5, 2024, confirming Mukasa’s demise in police custody.
Following this tragic event, his family and fellow students mobilized efforts to raise Shs 15 million for transporting his body back to Uganda. On Monday 22, January 2024, Mukasa’s remains were repatriated, and on Tuesday 23rd, he was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kigombe village, Luwero sub-county.
During the somber occasion, Nusurah Nalwoga, his mother, tearfully requested the coffin to be opened thrice for her to witness her son’s lifeless body.
Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa, Luwero District Kadhi and Mukasa’s brother, informed mourners that they await the postmortem report detailing the circumstances of his death, as shared by the Ugandan Embassy.
Mulindwa expressed relief that the family secured the body for burial and entrusted the pursuit of justice to the Egyptian government if wrongdoing is established.
Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, emphasized the need for lawful prosecution rather than individuals dying in unclear circumstances in police cells. Mubaje urged an explanation from Uganda’s Embassy in Egypt, citing concerns of possible torture.
He further appealed to the Ugandan Parliament to increase budget allocations for missions abroad, enabling effective responses to emergencies like the death of citizens abroad. Mukasa, who went to Egypt in 2019, met his untimely demise in December 2023.
A letter dated January 5, 2024, shared with the Uganda Embassy in Cairo and the family, revealed that District Prosecutor Ismail Hafeez ordered an investigation into Noor Muhamadi Ali Abdulalbaky and Muhamadi Sharif Salaama Alsobby regarding Mukasa’s death.
Hafeez mandated a postmortem, prosecution of those responsible, and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mukasa’s demise. The police chief was instructed to notify the Ugandan Embassy and the family, providing a comprehensive report on the matter.
