Police Officer Arrested After Suspect Escapes Custody in Budaka
Investigation police crime scene do not cross yellow tape.
By Skika Reporter
Police in Budaka District have arrested a police officer following the escape of a robbery suspect from lawful custody at Budaka Police Station, in an incident that has raised fresh concerns over adherence to standard procedures within the force.
The escape occurred in the early hours of Thursday morning and involved Edrine Tibita, a 24-year-old resident of Buwaya Village in Mayuge District, who had been detained on charges of aggravated robbery.
According to Bukedi North Regional Police spokesperson Wilfred Kyempasa, preliminary findings indicate that the suspect took advantage of a lapse in security while being taken out to perform routine cleaning duties.
Police Constable Samuel Muhumuza, who had just reported for duty at around 6:30am, reportedly found four suspects in custody and selected Tibita to clean the station premises. During the process, the officer is said to have briefly stepped away to pick a cleaning brush, leaving the cell door open. “It was at this moment that the suspect slipped out and fled,” ASP Kyempasa said.
The suspect reportedly ran through the station corridor, passed the counter, and escaped towards the Mbale Highway before disappearing into a nearby garden. Efforts by officers to pursue and re-arrest him were unsuccessful.
Following the incident, immediate disciplinary action was taken against PC Muhumuza for alleged negligence. He has since been arrested and detained under Budaka CRB 144/2026 as investigations continue.
Police also cited other officers who were on duty at the time for neglect of duty, noting that some were not sufficiently alert while others were engaged in shift handover procedures.
The case file has been forwarded to the Resident State Attorney in Budaka for legal guidance.
Police have launched a manhunt for the escaped suspect as investigations into the incident continue, The incident adds to a pattern highlighted in the 2025 Police Annual Crime Report. A total of 789 cases of escape from lawful custody were recorded nationwide in 2025, down from 927 in 2024. Earlier figures show 1,072 cases in 2023 and 988 in 2022.
The report also indicates a decline in cases of suspects being rescued from custody, with eight incidents recorded in 2025 compared to 29 in 2024, 26 in 2023, and 39 in 2022.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to tighten enforcement of custody procedures and prevent similar incidents in the future.
