Security forces are actively searching for six foreigners who escaped from an immigration detention facility in Namanve, located along the Kampala-Jinja highway. The escapees include five Eritreans and one Ethiopian, all of whom were being held for illegal residency in Uganda.
Simon Mundeyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed the escape during a press briefing held at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Nakawa Division, Kampala. Mundeyi indicated that the escapees are now considered dangerous. They had been awaiting court appearances when they managed to flee detention.
Details on how the detainees escaped were not disclosed, but Mundeyi assured that an investigation is underway. The six individuals were part of a group of 135 foreign nationals arrested during a security operation on July 5, 2024. They were scheduled to face legal proceedings for their immigration violations.
This incident is notable as it represents the second case of foreign nationals escaping custody in recent years. In 2014, two military generals from a neighboring country escaped from the Police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) holding cells in Kireka, Wakiso district. They had managed to cut through iron sheets and exit through the roof at night. The SIU facility is now managed by the Police’s Flying Squad Unit, an elite team within the Directorate of Crime Intelligence.
Mundeyi emphasized that efforts are being made to recapture the escaped detainees and to improve security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
