The police fraternity and community at large have been left in mourning following the tragic passing of Police Constable Thembo James, who took his own life on April 23, 2025, at Kabalye Police Training School (PTS), Masindi District.
His death has not only prompted a formal investigation but also stirred an emotional response among those who knew him personally and witnessed his long struggle behind the uniform.
PC Thembo James, aged 29, a Mukonjo from Bundibugyo District, was a police trainer stationed at PTS Kabalye. According to an official incident report, he died by suicide using a firearm inside the Other Rank’s Mess at the training school. Witnesses confirmed that the firearm had been handed to him moments before by a fellow officer. Efforts to resuscitate him were futile.
Though the police investigation into the circumstances of his death is ongoing under file number MSD CRB: 391/2025, some of the most telling insights have come not from the scene of the tragedy, but from the voices of those who served alongside him friends who remember not just the incident, but the man.
One of his squadmates recounted their recent encounter at the Police Headquarters, just a month before the tragedy. “Bambi my squad mate (ever laughing)… I met him and he seemed not to be doing well at all—he was missing salary, very stressed, and tinny,” he said tearfully. “People go through a lot silently with all the hard work and trauma.”
Thembo’s troubles reportedly began early in his police journey, all the way from his training at Kabalye as part of the 21st intake in 2019. Due to confusion arising from having two officers with the same name Thembo James his initial clearance and deployment faced significant delays. His return to Kabalye as an instructor brought its own share of complications, leading to a devastating administrative error that saw him removed from the payroll. He reportedly went over a year without salary.
Despite his mental health struggles, documented since his posting at Mityana Police Station, he continued to serve. Friends like PC Katugumia Wilson tried their best to support him through his illness, even as he reportedly displayed signs of deteriorating mental wellness—uncoordinated speech, attempts to flee the training school, and emotional breakdowns.
“When I met him at HQ, I advised him to return to Kabalye,” another colleague shared. “He accepted the idea, and I hugged him goodbye not knowing it would be the last.” The heartbreak in these words underscores the deep sense of helplessness shared by those closest to him.
The postmortem confirmed a self-inflicted gunshot wound with entry through the throat and exit at the top of the head. Blood splattered walls bore witness to the horror of his final moments.
While the inquiry is still underway and a fellow officer, PC Onek Francis, has been detained for handing him the weapon, questions linger about the systemic failures that led to such a tragic outcome.
In mourning his death, the voices of his peers echo a painful truth that behind the polished boots and crisp salutes, officers like PC Thembo James often wage quiet wars within. His death is a grim reminder that support for mental health and wellness in the force must be strengthened. Not just for those who fall but for all those silently on the edge.
Rest in Paradise, PC Thembo James. You were more than your badge you were a brother, a friend, a fighter.
