City engineer, two others mysteriously die in Kawempe septic tank

Kampala, (UG): Residents of Komamboga Central Zone in Kawempe, Division, a Kampala city suburb are in shock after a yet-to-be-explained death of three people in a new septic tank. The dead include the site engineer.

According to eyewitnesses, the trio seem to have died in the process of fixing the pipes of a new septic tank at a construction site. The eyewitnesses say they suspected they suffocated at the bottom of the septic tank at around 11:00 am.

Noah Mukasa Sserumaga, the Komamboga central chairperson, said he was told that one builder descended into the septic tank to lay pipes, but did not return. His colleague therefore also descended into the septic tank to find out but did not return.

The situation of the duo prompted the site engineer to also descend into the septic tank but did not return. Some of the residents who were in shock only identified the site owner as James Ssaaka and said the deceased persons were all new in the area.

A response team, led by Kawempe District Police Commander Robert Kuzala, retrieved the bodies at around 2:00 pm after hours of waiting in vain for a rescue team from Clock Tower, the headquarters of Fire and rescue Police services.

Kuzala said they have started investigations to ascertain the actual cause of this death. Police have since cordoned off the site and barred people from accessing it again as investigations kick off.

“This is terrible and there isn’t much we can do until investigations are complete,” Kuzala told the residents. “I only want to request you to avoid tampering with this crime scene, because the investigations will continue to find out anything that could have led to this kind of death. “

The residents appealed to the Police to put emergency rescue teams at each of the police Divisions, which would help in saving more lives.

The bodies of the deceased have been conveyed to the city mortuary at Mulago for post-mortem reports as investigations into the actual cause of death continue.