Fallen Makerere University student, Sebastian Ssetuba known by many as Rasta Batio, was laid to rest on Sunday at his home place in Masaka amidst sorrow and grief.
In attendance at the funeral was Deputy Lord Mayor – Doreen Nyanjura, former Makerere University Guild Presidents Judith Nalukwago & Shamim Nambassa among other congregants.
Ssetuba was a previous resident of Lumumba Hall of residence at Makerere.
He was reported missing around Thursday June 15 after he left home but didn’t return, according to the deceased’s mother, after adding that the late Ssetuba left home ‘looking his best’ (Ms Nyanjura said in a tweet).
A number of questions still stand unanswered on what exactly could have happened to Ssetuba and the events that could built up to his death.
In a tweet Ms Nyanjura vowed to follow up the unfortunate occurrence to the dot, in her capacity as elected representative of Makerere.
Read her (Nyanjura’s) full statement below:
He woke up in high spirits on Thursday June 15, 2023, asked his mother for a dressing mirror and a comb. He told his mother he wanted to look his best and then left for @Makerere campus. That was the last day he was seen by his family and friends until a week later when his lifeless body was discovered by his family in a mortuary! Even on that day of his last appearance to friends and family, he was the usual jolly Batio, who whenever he met his friends greeted them with a song. In the same vein, he was a mainstay on Makerere’s political and social scene where he composed songs for many politicians in the Makerere University Community. Sebastian Ssetuba a.k.a Rasta Batio went to be with the Lord under very unclear circumstances.
Upon inquiry from Mulago Hospital, the father was told that Batio was dumped at the Hospital by PoliceUG Patrol that picked him from an undisclosed clinic in Nalukolongo. The family made further inquiries at Nateete Police Station where his father was told they were not aware of any accidents that happened within their area of jurisdiction, after hours of being tossed up and down, from one office to another. He was advised to just accept that his son was involved in a hit and run accident so that he gets Police clearance to get his son’s body from the mortuary.
A promising young life ended just like that and the @PoliceUG continued going about such cases casually! In the old way of doing things, I would just write here lamenting about the casual approach of the @PoliceUG in this matter, but the time has come for someone to bell the cat and ask the hard questions in a bid to make Police more accountable to the public and take their work more seriously.