The Uganda Police Force has confirmed the death of a 30-year-old Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) client following a violent incident involving a mob in Kampala, revising earlier statements that had dismissed reports of an attack at the bank premises.
The deceased has been identified as Fahad Rubega, who died on June 4, 2026, after being severely beaten at DTB Naalya branch in Kakawa Division.
According to witnesses, Rubega had visited the bank to withdraw money when a dispute reportedly broke out after the transaction.
It is alleged that the bank manager accused him of previously obtaining funds through fraudulent means, a confrontation that quickly escalated.
As Rubega attempted to leave the premises, the situation intensified. The bank manager is said to have instructed security guards to apprehend him, after which boda boda riders and members of the public allegedly joined in and assaulted him.
Some customers reportedly intervened and rescued him from the mob, returning him inside the bank before police were alerted. Officers later picked him up and took him to Kiwatule Police Station to record a statement. However, while at the station, his condition worsened.
He was subsequently rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The case was registered under CRB 06/04/26.
Initially, field officers who responded to the scene did not report any mob attack in their statements. Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Racheal Kawala rushed to dismiss social media claims of a mob incident at the DTB branch.
However, Police Spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke has since apologized for the earlier communication, saying it resulted from a breakdown in information sharing between officers at Kiwatule Police Station and police headquarters, which initially indicated that no mob attack had occurred.
Kituuma further explained that the case appears to have originated from a rental-related fraud dispute. Investigators say Rubega had engaged a client online who was searching for a rental property, and introduced himself as an estate agent.
The client reportedly viewed properties in Kyanja and agreed to rent a house at Shs 3 million per month. He was then instructed to pay Shs 12 million, covering three months’ rent and a security deposit, which he transferred to a DTB account registered in Rubega’s names.
However, upon revisiting the property, the caretaker allegedly informed the client that the house was not available for rent but was instead being sold.
Efforts to reverse the payment were unsuccessful as the funds had already been withdrawn. The matter was later reported to the bank and police.
Police say the bank later informed them that Rubega had been sighted and taken into custody by security guards.
“When officers arrived, he had already been apprehended and appeared weak, though there were no visible signs of torture,” Kituuma said. “He was taken to Kiwatule Police Station, but his condition deteriorated, and he was rushed to Mulago Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.”
Investigations into both the alleged fraud and the circumstances surrounding the mob action are still ongoing.
Rubega’s death comes just days after the killing of Rugby Cranes player Sidney Gongondyo in a separate mob attack in Naguru, an incident that led to the arrest of more than 12 suspects, including boda boda riders.
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