ENTEBBE, Uganda — The United States Embassy in Kampala has launched an investigation into the death of its citizen, Eric Nkusi, who passed away while in police custody at Entebbe Police Station. Nkusi, who had Burundian heritage, was reportedly detained last Friday for overstaying his visa.
According to police sources, Nkusi had been residing in Uganda for several weeks despite his visa having expired.
While in detention, he allegedly began experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms linked to drug addiction. Officers claimed he demanded access to heroin, saying he would die without it.
“Nkusi was a drug addict and demanded to have access to drugs or else he was going to die. But police officers just scoffed at him, claiming he was acting. But to their shock, Nkusi was found dead the next day inside police cells,” sources said.
It is alleged that police on duty dismissed his pleas, telling him he would have to wait until he returned to his home country to access the illicit substances. The following day, Nkusi was found dead in his cell.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, stated that he had not yet been briefed on the circumstances surrounding Nkusi’s death.
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Meanwhile, officers at Entebbe Police Station are reportedly blaming each other for negligence, which may have contributed to the incident.
Sources say the US Embassy has demanded detailed explanations from Kampala Metropolitan Police leadership.
Officers who were on duty from the time of Nkusi’s arrest through the weekend are now under interrogation and face possible prosecution before the police disciplinary court at Naguru headquarters.
Nkusi’s body has been transferred to Kampala City Mortuary for a postmortem examination. Police have also recorded statements from officers and civilians present at the station during his detention.
