A 24-year-old security guard has drowned in a swimming pool at a residential property in Naguru, Kampala, in an incident that police were investigating on Thursday.
The deceased has been identified as Andrew Tumusiime, a resident of Hoima District who was employed by SGA Security Services and assigned to guard a residence on Plot 10, Naguru.
Tumusiime was reportedly found dead in the swimming pool after his colleague became concerned when he failed to report for duty.
According to Edison Kyaligonza, who worked the daytime shift at the property, he arrived in the morning and could not find Tumusiime.
Kyaligonza said he initially thought his colleague had briefly left the premises after finding the small gate open. However, after waiting for him to return, he called Tumusiime’s phone.
The phone rang without being answered. Kyaligonza then followed the sound and found it coming from the swimming pool area, where he discovered Tumusiime’s clothes and later saw his body floating in the pool.
He alerted the security company’s office, which notified police.
Kyaligonza said the circumstances at the scene suggested that Tumusiime could have been recording himself while swimming before he drowned in a deeper section of the pool.
Ahamed Matovu, the chairperson of Kiwalimu Zone in Naguru, said he was informed about the incident by the commander of Kira Road Police Division and went to the residence.
Matovu said some residents believed Tumusiime could have been recording a video for social media or to share with relatives and friends. He also said residents had raised the possibility that alcohol may have been involved, although this had not been established by police.
The incident has also prompted questions among local residents about the training and supervision of security guards assigned to private homes with swimming pools and other facilities.
Matovu said guards can sometimes become familiar with facilities at properties where they work and may attempt to use them without having the necessary skills or training.
Pelagia Nampebwa, a local council leader, said the occupants of the residence had left the property about two days before the incident. Tumusiime and another guard had reportedly remained behind to provide security.
Another resident, Andrew Kiiza, said Tumusiime may have been attempting to capture a video to share with friends or relatives. He also raised broader concerns about guards unfamiliar with some of the facilities they encounter when they move from rural areas to urban centres.
However, these accounts remain subject to police investigation, and there was no official confirmation by the time of publication that Tumusiime was recording himself or that alcohol contributed to the drowning.
Residents also questioned the response to the incident.
Najiv Ssenyange said the first police officers who arrived at the scene appeared to have difficulties recovering the body and securing items at the location.
Ssenyange said residents had to assist while they waited for homicide and Scene of Crime officers to arrive.
By the time of publication, police had cordoned off the residence and restricted journalists from entering the property or taking photographs.
Some officers at the scene claimed that the security company was concerned about publicity surrounding the incident because the residence was reportedly occupied by a senior Stanbic Bank official. This claim had not been independently confirmed.
Police had not issued an official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Tumusiime’s death by the time this story was published.
Investigations are expected to establish how the drowning occurred and whether any other factors contributed to the incident.
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