In a heart-wrenching tale of international tragedy, the lifeless body of 30-year-old Ugandan student, Ahmad Mukasa Nsanja, who met an untimely demise in Egyptian police cells, has been returned and laid to rest at his ancestral home in Luwero district.
Mukasa, a student at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, was thrust into a nightmare when he was apprehended on December 27, 2023, for lacking a valid visa.
The chilling news of his death within the confines of the First Settlement police station reached his family on January 5, 2024, through the Ugandan Embassy in Cairo.
The grieving family, alongside fellow students, embarked on a poignant journey to raise Shs 15 million for the repatriation of Mukasa’s remains. On Monday, the solemn procession culminated as his body was transported back to Uganda, finding its final resting place in Kigombe village in Luwero sub-county on Tuesday.
The anguish of Mukasa’s mother, Nusurah Nalwoga, was palpable as she demanded the coffin to be opened thrice, tears streaming down her face, seeking reassurance that her son had indeed met his tragic end.
Sheikh Ramadhan Mulindwa, Luwero District Kadhi and a relative of the deceased, addressed mourners, revealing that they are awaiting a copy of the postmortem report shedding light on the circumstances surrounding Mukasa’s death.
The Ugandan Embassy in Cairo informed them that investigations were underway, with two individuals currently under scrutiny.
In an emotionally charged atmosphere, Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, questioned the circumstances leading to Mukasa’s demise. He called for transparency from the Ugandan Embassy in Egypt and raised concerns about the possibility of torture being a factor in the student’s death.
Mubaje further urged the Ugandan Parliament to increase budget allocations to foreign missions, advocating for better emergency response mechanisms to aid distressed Ugandans abroad.
The tragedy unfolded in a letter dated January 5, 2024, wherein the district prosecutor Ismail Hafeez ordered an investigation into Noor Muhamadi Ali Abdulalbaky and Muhamadi Sharif Salaama Alsobby regarding Mukasa’s death.
The directive also included a postmortem examination and calls for prosecution of those found responsible.
As the family grapples with the loss, questions linger about the circumstances that led to the demise of a promising young scholar who embarked on his journey to Egypt in 2019 under the prestigious Egyptian government scholarship.
The hope now rests on an investigation that will hopefully provide answers and justice for Ahmad Mukasa Nsanja.
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