By Timothy Okurut
Casablanca bar, Mukono has resumed operations under its original name. The bar reopened on October 9, nearly two years after the death of Uganda Christian University (UCU) student Trevor James Byandala.
Found along the Bishop Tucker road in Mukono a few metres away from Precious Hostel, the bar which was at the centre of investigations into Byandala’s death in January 2025, has returned to business under the management of the same proprietor, according to information obtained by The Standard.
Its reopening comes amid lingering questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of the first-year Bachelor of Procurement and Logistics Management student, whose case shocked the UCU community.
Byandala was reported missing for about two weeks before his death was announced on January 28, 2025. In a report published by The Standard on February 5, 2025, accounts of his final hours differed.
Casablanca proprietor Tesfalem Gherathu told the paper at the time that he had been informed that Byandala collapsed at the premises in the early morning as the bar was closing. He said staff had been instructed to call the police and that Byandala was taken to Mulago Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
However, other accounts suggested that his body had been found lifeless in a washroom at the premises. Police investigations were reportedly ongoing, with CCTV footage from the bar said to have been submitted to the Criminal Investigations Department at Mukono Main Police Station for review.
The circumstances surrounding the student’s death subsequently led to the bar’s closure. It later reopened under a new name, “1962,” before shutting down again.
Now, its return as Casablanca has renewed attention to a case whose outcome still remains unclear. The reopening raises a broad question: what progress has been made in establishing the circumstances of Byandala’s death?
As business resumes at the premises, Byandala’s family, friends and relatives continue to seek clarity on what actually happened the night he died.
