The tragic incident occurred after Nsanja was arrested during a police crackdown on illegal migrants on December 27, 2024. According to information received from Uganda’s embassy in Cairo, the deceased had been legally staying in Egypt but lacked proper documentation, leading to his detention.
Sheikh Ramathan Mulindwa, Luweero District Kadhi and a member of the bereaved family, revealed that Nsanja had gone to Egypt in 2019 after being awarded a scholarship by the Egyptian government to study at Al Azhar University. The prestigious Cairo-based university is renowned for its Islamic teachings and offers programs in various disciplines, including medicine and business.
The family learned about Nsanja’s death through a communication from the Ugandan Embassy in Egypt on January 14. According to Mulindwa, the embassy advised the family to raise USD 3,500 for transporting the body back to Uganda for burial. However, as of the weekend, the family had not yet raised the required amount, leaving Nsanja’s body in Egypt.
Mulindwa appealed to the government, particularly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to assist the family in seeking justice and facilitating the repatriation of the deceased’s body. Nsanja’s mother, Nusurah Nalwoga, expressed her distress over her son’s death, while Hussein Sebwato, a family member, recounted a telephone conversation with the late student in which he mentioned the intensified operations by Egyptian police against illegal migrants.