By Jamillah Kemigisa
A 19-year-old Senior Five student of Ntare School who had recently been suspended on disciplinary grounds has been found dead in River Rwizi, days after going missing from his family home. The discovery has shocked the school community and raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
The student has been identified as Elvis Magambo, a Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics (BCM) student and son to Dr. Emmanuel and Ms. Christine Magambo of Makenke, Mbarara City.
Elvis had been suspended from Ntare School on June 30, after school authorities caught him scaling the perimeter wall—reportedly after sneaking out on June 28. He was sent home for two weeks pending a disciplinary hearing.
According to his mother, Ms. Christine Magambo, on the morning of July 2, she had a conversation with her son in which she counseled him, followed by a short prayer session together. Elvis then left home — and never returned.
“We prayed together that morning after I spoke to him. He was calm. He left quietly, and that was the last we saw of him,” she recalled tearfully.
The family reported him missing the same day.
On the evening of July 10, residents near Nyamitanga Bridge noticed a floating body in River Rwizi and alerted police. Upon recovery, the body — in a state of partial decomposition — was positively identified on July 11 as that of Elvis Magambo by both his parents and Ntare School officials.
Mr. Wilson Ndezi, Deputy Head Teacher of Ntare School, confirmed Elvis had been suspended but had no known history of indiscipline or mental distress.
“He was a quiet, calm student. We had only suspended him temporarily and were preparing to engage him and his parents,” Mr. Ndezi said during the requiem service.
The school joined mourners at a service held at Makenke Church of Uganda on July 11.
SP Samson Kasasira, spokesperson for the Rwizi Region Police, confirmed that investigations are underway. While early indications suggest drowning, the family suspects foul play due to visible injuries on the body.
“We await a full post-mortem report to determine the exact cause of death. Investigations are ongoing,” Kasasira said.
Dr. Emmanuel Magambo, Elvis’s father, stated that the body had wounds on the arm and chest area that raised suspicion. “My son had injuries that didn’t look accidental. We are deeply disturbed,” he said.
The incident has triggered an outpouring of grief on social media and within the Ntare Old Boys’ network. Many have called for increased mental health support in schools and improved safety around high-risk areas like River Rwizi, which has claimed multiple young lives in recent years.
