Parents of Abongomola Seed student killed by peers dismiss theft allegation – “he was never a thief”

The parents of a student who died at Abongomola Seed Secondary School in Kwania district have declined to accept the theft allegations labeled against their son.

They are demanding justice. Dickens Otema, a resident of Apolika parish in Chawente sub-county, Kwania district, spoke regarding the death of his son, Solomon Lukori, a Senior Four student.

Otema maintained that his son had “clean hands” and was never a thief.

He noted that the entire village and neighbors can testify to the boy’s good character and discipline.

Otema criticised the school authorities for labeling his son a thief.

He stated that if his son truly had such a habit, he should have been summoned to the school previously to settle the matter. Instead, he expressed deep pain and anger upon hearing that his son was killed over allegations of theft.

The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kwania, Richard Arikwanga Noon, strongly condemned the act of students taking the law into their own hands.

He attributed the incident to a lapse in school management and oversight.

RDC Noon announced that he would convene a peace meeting with school heads across Kwania and the Lango sub-region to find a lasting solution to such violence.

Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police PRO, also condemned the rising cases of mob justice in Lango.

He urged the public to follow legal procedures to resolve grievances instead of resorting to violence.

Okema assured the grieving parents that the police would conduct a thorough investigation to ensure justice is served according to the law.

In a related development, Joe Robinson Okwir, the headteacher of Inomo SS and chairperson of the Kwania District Secondary School Headteachers’ Association, commented on the school calendar.

He noted that the Ministry of Education provides a specific timeframe for students to break for holidays. However, he suggested it is better to complete the syllabus early and conduct exams so that students can be released, rather than keeping them in school indefinitely.

Okwir pointed out that keeping students in school after their peers have gone home often leads to indiscipline.

He added that financial constraints and a lack of essential supplies from parents sometimes cause students to resort to negative behaviors.