KISORO, UGANDA – A grieving family in Kisoro District is demanding justice and accountability from police at Lyantonde Central Police Station, alleging that officers’ negligence led to the death of their 44-year-old son, a professional driver.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The deceased, identified as Tuyishime Cleopa, a driver for Buntuex Stores Company, died after what his family describes as a preventable deterioration of injuries sustained in a road accident while in police custody.
The tragic sequence of events began on September 14, 2025, when Cleopa was involved in a traffic accident on the Lyantonde-Kampala highway.
Family accounts state that Cleopa managed to call his relatives from Lyantonde Central Police Station, urgently telling them he required medical attention.
That same evening, his wife rushed to the police station but was reportedly denied access to her husband, and despite her desperate pleas about his critical condition, officers on duty allegedly ignored her.
Cleopa’s sister, Furaha Turayina, explained that while recording his statement at the station, Cleopa admitted responsibility for the accident but revealed a critical detail: he had actually been on his way to the hospital at the time of the incident.
“He was even carrying drugs in his pockets, which was clear evidence of his pre-existing condition. Police should have rushed him to medical care instead of detaining him. They saw he was not okay,” Turayina revealed.
She added that Cleopa was not granted a police bond until September 15, by which time his condition had so severely deteriorated that witnesses stated he had to be carried by several people into a vehicle for transport to the hospital.
Cue in: Furaha, Sister of the Deceased. RR
Cleopa’s father, Richard Dushimimana, expressed profound grief and anger, revealing that while the family had committed to compensating the accident victims with six million shillings, his primary concern was his son’s life.
“My priority was to see my son alive, however police kept him in custody when his head was already badly injured,” Dushimimana said.
At the hospital, medical examinations uncovered the severity of Cleopa’s injuries: he had internal bleeding in the brain and a leakage of cerebrospinal fluid.
His health rapidly declined, leading to his admission to the Access Care Unit, followed by a transfer to a High Dependency Unit and a subsequent referral to Layan Care Hospital in Kampala, where he was pronounced dead.
Dushimimana squarely blames the police officers, not his son’s employer, for the death and has called upon the Inspector General of Police to launch an immediate investigation.
“The officers responsible should be fined to at least comfort his family and to serve as a lesson to others who neglect their duties. Cleopa has left behind a wife and three children,” Dushimimana stated.
Cue in: Richard, Father of the Deceased. RR
The area Member of Parliament, Hon. John Kamara Nizeyimana, has strongly condemned the conduct of the officers and reiterated the fundamental duty of the police to preserve life.
The legislator asserted that police must prioritize saving lives by taking accident victims directly to hospital for immediate medical check-ups, rather than placing them in custody.
When contacted for comment, the Greater Masaka Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP Twaha Kasirye, defended the officers involved, arguing they should not be blamed as they are not trained medical personnel.
ASP Kasirye urged the family to present a postmortem report to aid the ongoing investigations, while also drawing criticism for suggesting the family should sympathize with the officers.
Cue in: ASP Twaha Kasirye & Reporter Vox Pop
The family remains steadfast in their quest for justice as investigations continue, in a case that has raised serious questions about police protocols for handling injured suspects and accident victims.
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