Theft suspect who escaped police custody killed by mob in Kassanda

What the report says

A burglary and theft suspect died after being reportedly attacked by a mob in Kassanda district shortly after escaping police custody, according to The Observer. Police identified the man as Derrick Kasumba, also known as Kalevu, 30, who had been detained at Manyogaseka sub-county police station over a burglary and theft case.

Wamala Regional Police spokesperson Lameck Kigozi said Kasumba slipped away around 9 a.m. while being escorted to the toilet. The officer guarding him, Police Constable Aaron Nalyanya, was said to have failed to stop the escape. Police later received information, about an hour afterward, that Kasumba had been intercepted in Lwenyange village.

According to the report, the officer in charge of the station, Emmanuel Ogwang, directed Nalyanya to follow and recover the suspect. Nalyanya reportedly reached the scene by boda boda and found Kasumba still being assaulted. The crowd fled when police arrived, and the suspect was taken back to the station in critical condition before being rushed to Kyansaswa Health Centre III, where he was pronounced dead.

His body was later taken to Mityana General Hospital for postmortem. Police said they had opened investigations into the escape, the mob attack and the people involved. More broadly, mob justice remains a recurring concern in Uganda, where police often warn against taking the law into private hands.