Inquest to be held after Leeds student dashed from taxi before being found dead in river

An inquest has been scheduled after a University of Leeds student was found dead after fleeing from the taxi he was travelling in with his family.

22-year-old Matthew Buckwell Kalyango,  a postgraduate student studying aerospace engineering, had travelled to Manchester with his mother to attend his younger sister’s graduation ceremony.

That evening (Wedneaday 22nd July), Matthew joined friends and family at a celebratory meal and party hosted at The Ivy Asia in Spinningfields. After the event, he and his mother and sister ordered an Uber to take them to their car, which was parked further away.

However, during the journey, the 22-year-old suddenly became “agitated” before fleeing the vehicle and disappearing into the streets of Manchester.

Matthew’s father, Moses Bakaluba, who was out of the country at the time, later described the incident to the media, saying:  “He got agitated and stormed out of the vehicle and began running. I think he was running when it was dark. When he ran off, they tried to chase him, they failed. The mum gave up, she had high-heels and the sister tried but I think they lost track of him.”

Shortly after, Matthew’s body was found in the River Irwell, which runs through Manchester and Salford. Coroners recorded his death at the Left Bank beside the river, but are yet to determine the cause.

The mystery surrounding the circumstances of Matthew’s death has left his family searching for answers. His father said the family “have a lot of questions,” adding: “We’re wondering what went wrong. During that dinner he was with his mum, there were no friends who we could say spiked his drink.”

Matthew was a Master’s student at the University of Leeds (via Unsplash)

Most Read

Celebrities are calling out Ariana Grande’s team for ‘absolutely appalling’ petal music video

Full police statement as Perez Hilton is hospitalised after graphic self-h*rm livestream video

‘You milked it’: Influencer who was on Perez Hilton’s self-h*rm livestream angrily speaks out

He said: “It is shattering. There’s that mystery hanging around it and the mum is devastated. We give birth to children because we love them and we do the best we can. One of the issues in our community, we were talking about a funeral plan. We said ‘No, there is no funeral plan’. We did not plan for this boy to die.”

Matthew’s sister, Ana Kisaakye, has set up a crowdfunding page in the wake of his death to support the family’s funeral expenses. So far, the page has raised over £4,200 towards the target of £13,000.

On the Go Fund Me page, she wrote: “He was a beautiful soul whose kindness, humility, and love touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Through tutoring and mentoring young people in mathematics, he helped so many students build confidence and achieve their goals.

“Matthew was studying for a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Leeds and had recently completed a placement year with an engineering firm in Bracknell. Outside of his studies, he found joy in playing the piano, gaming, and playing hockey.”

According to Moses, Matthew’s body has now been released to the family for burial, with an inquest due to take place later this month.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, University of Leeds students can find counselling and wellbeing support here. Leeds Beckett students can find support here. Information about local support for Leeds residents can be found here.

You can also contact the Samaritans at any time by calling 116 123. Alternatively, you can contact Shout, a 24/7 text messaging service, by texting the word “Shout” to 85258.

Featured image before edits via Moses Bakaluba and  Geograph Britain and Ireland under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0