A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the death of Otim Leon Joshua, a 16-year-old student of Exel High School in Mukono, who died yesterday at Lacor Hospital in Gulu City where he had been admitted for treatment.
According to National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, commonly known as Bobi Wine, Otim died from severe injuries allegedly inflicted during a violent confrontation between security forces and NUP supporters last Saturday.
“Otim succumbed to the extensive injuries he sustained last Saturday when police and military officers, aided by gangs in plain clothes holding machetes and sticks, attacked and flogged us and our supporters as we attempted to campaign in Gulu City,” Kyagulanyi posted on X (formerly Twitter).
He added that Otim’s death reflects the ongoing failure of the Electoral Commission and other state institutions to ensure a credible, free, and fair electoral process.
Police Issue a Contradictory Account
However, the Uganda Police Force released a statement presenting a different version of events.
According to police, Otim who had returned home for the holidays left his residence in Customs Corner Cell, Bardeg Layibi Division on December 6th, 2025, telling his mother he was heading to town. When he failed to return by 11:00 p.m., the family grew worried.
At around 5:00 a.m., two boda boda riders arrived at the family’s home with Otim, badly beaten and unconscious. The riders reportedly informed his mother that Otim had been assaulted at Lailong by individuals who suspected him of stealing a mobile phone at around 4:00 a.m.
Police say the mother immediately rushed him to Lacor Hospital, where he was admitted, but he died on December 9th at around midday despite medical efforts to save him.
A police team visited the hospital and recorded statements from Otim’s mother and the boda boda riders. Investigators have since established that Otim was allegedly assaulted by four boys who are currently on the run. Police say efforts are underway to arrest the suspects.
Police Dismiss Social Media Claims
The police statement strongly dismissed circulating claims that Otim died as a result of a confrontation involving security agencies and Kyagulanyi, calling them “false and baseless.”
According to police, the teenager “succumbed to injuries inflicted by those who suspected him of theft,” not by security personnel.
