MBARARA .
The family of Elvis Magambo, 19 is still recovering from shock following his tragic death on Thursday .
The Senior Five student from Ntare School in Mbarara City was found dead with his body floating on River Rwizi on Thursday, July 10, 2025, around 8pm, according to confirmations from both the school administration and his parents.
Magambo had recently been suspended from the school.
Mr Wilson Ndezi, the Deputy Head Teacher of Ntare School, said Magambo was suspended on June 30, 2025, after escaping from school.
“True, Elvis was our student in Senior Five pursuing Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics (BCM). He finished the first term successfully, but in second term, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, he escaped from school and was intercepted as he tried to re-enter after jumping over the perimeter wall at around 8pm,” Mr Ndezi he explained
He added that Magambo’s actions breached school regulations, and he was suspended and handed over to his parents.
“We regret the incident and condole with the family. We were waiting for the board of governors to convene and decide his fate, only to learn of his death,” he added.
During a requiem Mass at Makenke Church of Uganda in Mbarara City on Friday , the deceased’s father, Dr Emmanuel Magambo, described his son as calm and obedient.
“My son was disciplined, calm, and obedient, but got spoilt after joining Ntare School. As a family, we will dearly miss him,” he said.
Dr Magambo added: “His body had stab marks on the arm and other parts, which indicates he might have been killed and later dumped in River Rwizi.”
The deceased’s mother, Ms Christine Magambo, said her son left home on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
“After counseling him on Wednesday morning, he promised to get saved. I went into my room to pray, and when I returned, he was nowhere to be seen — only to receive the devastating news of his death,” she told mourners.
Rwizi Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Samson Kasasira, confirmed that police had launched an investigation into the case.
“Yesterday[Thursday ], a decomposing body of a supposed male adult was discovered floating in River Rwizi. Residents alerted police, the body was retrieved and taken to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital for a postmortem.
The cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but we suspect drowning,” Mr Kasasira said.
He was non-committal on whether the body retrieved was indeed that of Elvis Magambo.
The incident adds to a growing concern over student deaths, including suicide cases. In the most recent case, on April 20, 2025, Nakita Kiconco, a student of Solberg College in Kabale, was found hanging from timber roofing inside her dormitory.