3 education officials arrested to aid investigations on school attack
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga addresses journalists at police headquarters in 2023.
What you need to know:
- The Uganda Police Spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga confirmed the arrest of the trio on Friday.
- He said they are currently in police custody on charges of aiding ADF rebel activities in Kasese District that could have resulted in the attack on the school
Police in Kasese are holding three top education officials to aid the investigation into the recent suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School that left 43 dead.
The Uganda Police Spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga confirmed the arrest of the trio on Friday. He said they are currently in police custody on charges of aiding ADF rebel activities in Kasese District that could have resulted in the attack on the school.
Those under detention include the District Education Officer Mr George Mayinja, the Principal Inspector of Schools Mr Ernest Thabugha who were arrested on Thursday evening, and Ms Harriet Masika the Inspector of Schools in charge of Bukonzo West County.
"This investigation is broad. It involves the attack on the school and the people collaborating with the ADF. The officials are under investigation for their possible role in aiding the attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School," Enanga said when we contacted him on Friday afternoon.
Currently, the death toll stands at 43 of which 37 are students while 6 others are community members. 17 of the 37 bodies are not yet buried since they were burnt beyond recognition and the police forensic department is currently testing DNA.
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On Monday this week, police announced that they had arrested 21 people suspected of collaborating with the ADF rebels in the attack. This brings the total number of arrested suspects to 24.
Among those arrested are the Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School Director Mr Nelson Bulotemu and the school head teacher Mr Raimon Muhindo.
The Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) continues the pursuit of the suspected rebels in the jungles of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where they have pitched camp after being flushed out of the Rwenzori region in Uganda.
As investigations continue, the Minister of State for ICT and National Guidance Mr Godfrey Baluku Kabbyanga wonders why the school that has been in existence for quite a while and offers vocational studies and secondary education has only 64 learners.
At the burial of Gaudensio Biira last Sunday, Minister Kabbyanga said, "We are committed to conducting extensive investigations until we get to the bottom of this matter. Security and the local people all should be investigated for their role in this," he said.
Mr Kabbyanga argued that it was baffling that a school that has been in existence for ten years could only have 64 students with most of them not being native to the area where it is located.
"Can you imagine, the school had only one student from the Bukonzo County West constituency yet that's where it is located? Most of the students came from other constituencies. Why did parents in that community shun the school?" He wondered.
The affected school was closed temporarily by the government immediately after the incident.
