Police Pay Shs 5 Million to Family of Congolese Man Who Died in Ugandan Custody

The family of Uwimana Ntirenganya, a 30-year-old Congolese national who died while in Ugandan police custody, has received his body after police provided Shs5 million to support burial arrangements.

Ntirenganya, a resident of Mataba Village in Nyamagana, Busanza Groupement, Rutshuru District in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reportedly died in custody on May 7, 2026.

Police officers attached to Nyabwishenya Police Post, together with two civilians, are alleged to have secretly buried his body in a tea plantation. The remains were later discovered and exhumed following a court order, before being transferred to Kisoro Hospital for a postmortem examination.

On the evening of Thursday, May 14, 2026, Kisoro District Police Commander SP Edatu Cosmas handed over the body to Ntirenganya’s relatives at the Busanza border point at around 6pm.

The handover followed tense negotiations. The family had initially refused to receive the body on Wednesday, demanding Shs100 million in compensation from the Ugandan government.

“They first engaged us because they wanted the body. When we were still working hand in hand with relevant stakeholders, we took the body to Busanza but they declined to receive it because they wanted compensation,” SP Edatu said. “They were asking for one hundred million from the Government of the Republic of Uganda.”

After sustained discussions involving Ugandan police, DRC authorities, and local leaders, the family eventually agreed to accept Shs5 million to cover burial costs, provided by the Office of the Inspector General of Police.

SP Edatu thanked the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Operations for their guidance, and commended local leaders and the media for what he described as professional reporting that helped ease tensions. He condemned the incident, stating that it was committed by individuals and should not damage Uganda’s image.

“The incident was carried out by individuals and should not be used to tarnish Uganda’s image as a nation,” he said, reaffirming the police’s commitment to professionalism, accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.

Six suspects, including four police officers, remain in custody and are expected to appear in court on Friday evening, May 15. SP Edatu urged the family to remain in contact with authorities as the case proceeds.

He also reported that intelligence indicated a group of Congolese nationals had mobilized with machetes to cross the porous border and carry out revenge attacks. “Let us avoid taking the law into our own hands. If they use the porous border to come and attack communities in Uganda, then we shall have no mercy. It is like declaring war on the Republic of Uganda,” he warned.

Nizeyimana Erick, the chief of Busanza Groupement in DRC, said he would engage his community and discourage any retaliatory attacks in order to preserve the long-standing relationship between the two countries.