Who is killing teachers in Luweero?

Two teachers in Luweero District have died mysteriously in a space of one week, with police preliminary investigations pointing to suspected abduction and murder.

The body of the first victim, Nathan Ssebugulu of Luweero Seed Secondary School, was recovered in Katikamu Village near Wobulenzi Town, about five metres off the Kampala-Gulu highway, on February 25.

Four days later, on March 1, residents of Kansiri Village in Butuntumula Sub-county, woke up to the sad news of the death of James Odongo, a teacher at Kansiri Primary School. He was found dead in his home.

The acting Savannah regional police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Lule, said the body of Ssebugulu was found with hands tied with ropes. Police also recovered a motorcycle at the scene of crime. “The police investigation team retrieved the body and took it to Luweero General Hospital where the post-mortem was conducted before it was released to the relatives for burial,” he said in an interview yesterday.

According to another teacher who had earlier travelled with the deceased on the same motorcycle from Luweero Town, some people were trailing them at around 5pm as they travelled to Wobulenzi Town.

“He got scared about the people that were following us and riding on three motorcycles. When we got to Lukomera Trading Centre, he advised me to board a commuter taxi to Wobulenzi. I did not know what happened next, but communicated to the friends later,” the teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed.

The victim was also a part-time teacher at Mulusa Academy in Wobulenzi Town, according to the school head teacher, Mr Anthony Ssekibengo.

“We joined the search for the missing teacher after his wife informed us that he had not returned home at around 11pm. We reported the matter to police and they joined the search,” he said

The body of Odongo was retrieved from his bedroom and taken for a post-mortem at Luweero General Hospital.

Earlier, Kansiri Village officials revealed that the residents knocked at the door of the deceased teacher but there was no response yet his house was always open by 6am.

“We broke the window and discovered that the teacher was motionless on his bed. He was lying upside down. We informed the Luweero Central Police after discovering the teacher was dead,” Mr Ernest Kizito, the secretary for defence in Kansiri Village, said.

Mr Yusuf Kamulegeya, the district inspector of schools, revealed that the education office had already condoled with the families of the two deceased teachers.

“The district has lost two teachers in a period of one week. We expect the police to give us feedback on the investigations soon. We also provided transport and bought a coffin for the deceased teacher at Kansiri Primary School. This is a trying time for the families, teachers, children and the community,” he said.

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