Kampala, Uganda: The death of 30-year-old Fahad Lubega, a man at the centre of an alleged multi-million-shilling rental fraud complaint, has sparked fresh scrutiny after Uganda Police revised its earlier position and acknowledged that the incident had indeed occurred, contradicting an initial statement that dismissed reports circulating on social media as fake and unauthentic.
The controversy began over the weekend when reports emerged online alleging that a man had been beaten by a mob at a Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) branch in Kampala over accusations of fraud.
Responding to the allegations on Saturday, June 13, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Rachael Kawala authoritatively said there had been no record of such an incident.
“Our attention has been drawn to reports circulating on various platforms regarding an alleged incident of mob action at DTB Ntinda in Kampala District. We wish to clarify that no such incident has been reported to or registered at Kira Road Police Station,” Kawala said.
SP Kawala even urged the public not to spread unverified information and maintained that police had not received any formal report regarding the matter.
However, the narrative changed dramatically two days later.
Addressing journalists at Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday, Police Spokesperson ACP Rusoke Kituuma acknowledged that the earlier communication was inaccurate and resulted from what he described as a communication gap between Kiwatule Police Station and police leadership.
“In our initial statement, there was an unintended misrepresentation suggesting that the incident had not occurred. This resulted from a communication gap in the preliminary information received from Kiwatule Police Station. We regret this shortfall and wish to provide the correct position,” Kituuma said.
According to the revised police account, the incident was formally reported and investigations were opened under CRB 064/2026 at Kiwatule Police Station under Kira Road Division.
Kituuma said the matter originated from an alleged rental fraud scheme involving a client who reportedly found a property advertisement on Jiji Uganda. Investigators say the complainant was connected to Lubega Fahad, 30, who allegedly presented himself as a property agent.
After viewing a house in Kyanja and agreeing to tenancy terms, the complainant was instructed to deposit UGX 12 million into a DTB account registered in Lubega’s names as payment for three months’ rent and a security deposit.
Police said the payment was made on June 2 at Metroplex Mall.
However, when the complainant later returned to inspect the property, the caretaker reportedly informed him that the house was not available for rent and was instead being offered for sale.
By the time attempts were made to reverse the transaction, the money had already been withdrawn.
According to Kituuma, the complainant was advised to file a formal police report but later received information that Lubega had been spotted at the bank.
“He later received information that the suspect had been sighted at the bank. Upon returning, he found that the suspect had already been apprehended,” Kituuma said.
Police say events then took a deadly turn. “It is alleged that the suspect later escaped from the bank while under the watch of the bank security guard, prompting members of the public to pursue and assault him,” Kituuma told journalists.
The police spokesperson said officers found Lubega already apprehended and in a weakened condition. “Police found that the suspect had already been apprehended and appeared weak, although no visible torture marks were observed at the time.”
He was subsequently transported to Kiwatule Police Station but reportedly died shortly after arriving at the station, and his body was later transferred to Mulago City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
DTB Narrative differs
Yet even as police now describe Lubega as a suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation and a victim of mob justice, Diamond Trust Bank’s statement paints a somewhat different picture.
In a statement issued Sunday, June 14, DTB referred to Lubega as “a customer of the Bank” and expressed condolences to his family. “The Bank’s last interaction with Mr. Lubega was at our Naalya Branch on 2nd June 2026, following a complaint raised by someone linked to a transaction he was involved in,” DTB said.
“The matter was reported to the Uganda Police, and he was subsequently taken into police custody for further investigations.”
The bank did not refer to Lubega as a fraud suspect, nor did it mention any escape attempt, pursuit by members of the public, or mob assault.
Instead, DTB stated that it was cooperating fully with investigators and would continue assisting authorities.
The differing accounts have left several unanswered questions.
Among them is whether Lubega was formally under arrest while at the bank, who exactly had custody of him when he allegedly escaped, and at what point the alleged mob attack occurred.
Questions have also emerged about the role of private security personnel, the timeline between his apprehension and transfer to police custody, and whether earlier intervention could have prevented his death.
The case has reignited concerns over mob justice in Uganda, where suspected criminals are frequently attacked by members of the public before investigations and court proceedings can establish guilt or innocence.
Police say investigations into both the alleged fraud and the circumstances surrounding Lubega’s death remain ongoing.
“The Uganda Police Force strongly condemns acts of mob justice and urges members of the public to hand over suspects to law enforcement agencies for proper handling in accordance with the law,” Kituuma said.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
