Matthew Buckwell Kalyango, a 22-year-old aerospace engineering master's student from London, died after fleeing a taxi in Manchester on July 22, 2026, following his sister's graduation celebration. His body was found in the River Churwell at Left Bank hours later, and his family is demanding answers as an inquest is set for August 13.
What happened that night
Matthew, who was studying at the University of Leeds, had traveled to Manchester with his mother and sister to attend his sister Ana Kisaakye's graduation. After a meal at The Ivy Asia Manchester in Spinningfields, the family booked an Uber to return to their parked vehicle some distance away. During the ride, Matthew suddenly became agitated, stormed out of the car, and ran into the city.
His father, Moses Bakaluba, who was abroad at the time, recounted the events: "They were attending his young sister's graduation in Manchester. After the graduation dinner, they were in an Uber. He got agitated and stormed out of the vehicle and began running. I think he was running when it was dark."
Moses explained that his mother and sister tried to chase him but lost track: "The mum gave up, she had high heels, and the sister tried, but I think they lost track of him." Hours later, police informed the family that Matthew had been found in water.
Family's search for answers
The family is struggling to understand what went wrong. "We have a lot of questions. 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," Moses said. The coroner has not yet established the cause of death, though his body has been released for burial.
Matthew had moved to Nuneaton with his family about five years ago before going to Leeds for his studies. His father described the grief as "shattering," adding: "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."
Fundraising and tributes
Ana Kisaakye set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover funeral expenses, which has raised approximately £4,000 of its £13,000 target. On the 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 had recently completed a placement year with an engineering firm in Bracknell and enjoyed playing piano, gaming, and hockey. A year ago, he wrote on LinkedIn: "I look forward to learning from industry leaders, collaborating on real-world projects, and growing both personally and professionally."
Inquest details and next steps
The inquest is scheduled for 9:30am on Thursday, August 13, at Manchester City Coroner's Court. Greater Manchester Police and North West Ambulance Service have been approached for statements. The family continues to seek answers as they prepare to lay Matthew to rest.
