US Embassy probes death of American citizen in Entebbe police cells

The US Embassy in Kampala is investigating the circumstances under which its citizen, Eric Nkusi, died while in police custody at Entebbe police station.

Nkusi, who also has roots in Burundi, was arrested last Friday for overstaying his visa after reportedly living in Uganda for several weeks without valid immigration documents. Police sources allege that Nkusi, believed to have been a drug addict, began shivering while in detention and demanded access to heroin, the substance he was reportedly dependent on.

Officers, however, dismissed his requests, telling him to wait until he returned to his home country to access the illegal drugs.

“Nkusi insisted he would die without the drugs, but officers thought he was pretending. To their shock, he was found dead the following day in his cell,” one source said.

His death has triggered finger-pointing among officers at the station, with some accusing colleagues of negligence. The US Embassy has reportedly tasked Kampala Metropolitan Police leadership to provide detailed answers about the incident.

Police personnel who were on duty during Nkusi’s detention are now under interrogation and could face the force’s disciplinary court at Naguru police headquarters. Nkusi’s body was taken to the Kampala City Mortuary for a postmortem examination. Statements have been recorded from both police officers and civilians who were present during his arrest.