A 25-year-old woman, Margret Kabasa from Olok Village in Olok Sub-county, collapsed and died on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during a police recruitment exercise in Pallisa District, Eastern Uganda.
Kabasa was participating in a physical fitness test for the Police Probationer Constable (PPC) recruitment, which involved a timed run from Kalaki Primary School playground to Pallisa Roundabout and back. She successfully reached the roundabout but collapsed on her return leg near the Pallisa–Mbale taxi stage. The police medical team rushed her to Pallisa General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival at approximately 10 a.m.
Bukedi North Regional Police Spokesperson, ASP Wilfred Kyampasa, confirmed the incident and stated that a death inquiry has been opened to investigate the circumstances. Statements from eyewitnesses and Kabasa’s relatives have been recorded, and the scene was documented by the District Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO). The body was transported to Mbale City Mortuary for a postmortem examination, the results of which are expected to clarify the cause of death.
A police detective, speaking anonymously, emphasized that the postmortem findings will be critical in determining the exact cause of Kabasa’s death.
This incident marks another fatality in security recruitment exercises in Uganda. In a similar case, 30-year-old university graduate Geoffrey Atim collapsed during a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) recruitment exercise in Apac District and died the following day after being discharged from hospital.
The police have assured the public that further details will be shared as the investigation progresses. Kabasa’s death has raised concerns about the safety of physical tests in recruitment processes, prompting calls for enhanced medical screenings and safety protocols to protect aspiring recruits.