Luwero, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | A school director in Luwero has been apprehended on charges of sexually assaulting six underage girls, all of whom are candidates in the primary seven class, and coercing one of them to undergo an abortion.
The accused individual, identified as Jonah Ssebamanya, serves as the director of Kings Palace Primary School, situated in the Kakookolo zone within Luwero town council. Ssebamanya also holds a position as a health worker at Katuugo Health Center III, a government medical facility in Luwero sub-county.
According to Sam Twiineamazima, the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, Ssebamanya’s arrest followed complaints received by the police, indicating that between October and September of this year, he had sexually abused six female pupils aged between 13 and 17, all of whom were in the Primary Seven class.
Twiineamazima mentioned that after locating the victims and conducting medical examinations, it was confirmed that three out of the six pupils had been subjected to sexual abuse. All parties involved, including the victims, their parents, and the suspect, have provided statements at Luwero Central Police Station to assist with the ongoing investigation into this matter.
Nsubuga Emmanuel, the Kakookolo parish councilor, stated that there were allegations that the school director would pick up the pupils from the school dormitory and take them to his home in the Kikubajinja zone, where he purportedly sexually assaulted them during the night.
Joyce Namigadde, the Luwero District Probation Officer, revealed that one of the victims informed her office that upon discovering her pregnancy resulting from the sexual abuse, Ssebamanya had facilitated an abortion for her. During the operation conducted in cooperation with the police, the girl was found receiving medical treatment after undergoing an abortion with the involvement of the suspect.
“We also found that the pupils had been registered to sit exams at another school, which had the UNEB Center,” Namigadde stated. “We have provided counseling to the pupils and are currently collaborating with the education department to ensure that the victims can still sit for their examinations next week at the registered school, despite the arrest of their school director.”
Ssebamanya vehemently denied the accusations of sexually assaulting the six underage girls, insisting that they were motivated by rivals in the education sector.
Reportedly, Ssebamanya fell ill and collapsed after being detained at Luwero Central Police Station, necessitating his transfer to Luwero Hospital for treatment on a Saturday.
Subsequently, he was returned to the police cells to await the state attorney’s decision regarding charges of aggravated defilement. He is expected to appear before the magistrate court.
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The Luwero District is grappling with a surge in defilement cases, both within schools and the broader community.
Notably, Shadrack Kabugo, a teacher at Rapha Primary School in Luwero town, was recently arrested and remanded in prison on allegations of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old pupil under his tutelage. He is scheduled to return to Luwero magistrate court on November 22, 2023, for the aggravated case’s mention.
In another recent incident, the police in Luwero arrested Sulaiman Kizito, a 56-year-old resident of Kasenene village in Katikamu sub-county, for allegedly sexually assaulting his stepdaughter and grandchild while his wife was away at the hospital. The two children were rescued by the District Probation Office and relocated to a child care center for counseling and care.
According to the police’s crime report, a total of 166 defilement cases were reported in 2022, with 68 of them classified as aggravated. In this regard, the district was ranked second with the highest number of such cases.
