Omoro Leaders Resolve Permanent Closure of School After Dormitory Deaths

Omoro district authorities have resolved to permanently shut down the operations of Lux Primary and Secondary School in Labora Sub-county following the tragic deaths of two girls from the school dormitory.

The decision is among a raft of resolutions passed during an emergency meeting held on Tuesday between the district executive committee and members of the district security. This comes days after unknown people broke into the school dormitory where two girls were sleeping and gruesomely murdered them before setting their bodies on fire between the night of April 17 and the wee morning of April 18.

Samuel Robert Okwir, the Omoro District Chief Administrative Officer, told Uganda Radio Network on Wednesday that they decided because the school didn’t meet the required standards of operating as a learning institution. Okwir noted that they also established that the school hadn’t been registered with the Ministry of Education and was operating illegally in the district without a license.

Uganda Radio Network established, however, that the school was already in its second year of operation with a current total enrollment of 88 learners in Nursery, primary (P.1 to P.4), and secondary (S.1 to S.3).

When asked why district authorities didn’t realise the school was illegally operating, Okwir noted that information about the existence of such private schools is hard to find since they start operating informally.

“Some of these schools come and start their things without following the normal procedures. Others even start in a home, and they hide in their residential homes, so it takes time as a district to realise,” said Okwir. 

Okwir noted that the incident was an eye-opener to the district, adding that school inspectors are expected to conduct a fresh inspection of all private schools in the district and make recommendations for action by the district executives.

“We are having our section of inspectorates of the department of education to go and have an inspection for those types of and make their recommendation for us, the executives, and other concerned key stakeholders, and we try to come out with a position as a district," he said.

Emmanuel Okot, the Resident District Commissioner of Omoro District, cited laxity among some of the officials at the education department in the district, arguing that the school doesn’t meet the standards required by the Ministry of Education.

He noted that some officials from the education department are expected to record their statements with the police in connection with the incident.

Okot also revealed that during Tuesday’s meeting, they resolved to hold a meeting with all technical officials in the education and health departments in charge of enforcing the Ministry of Education guidelines on standards of operating schools. The second meeting, he said, will involve all directors of private schools arguing that what has happened may repeat itself in other schools if not prevented early.

David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa West Police Spokesperson, on Tuesday told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that a key suspect arrested in connection with the death of the girls has confessed to committing the crime. The suspect, whose identity hasn’t been revealed, is being detained at Omoro Central Police Station.

Police reported that the suspect’s file has already been sent to the resident state attorney and awaits sanctioning before he can be produced before the Chief Magistrates Court.

The deceased girls were identified as 16-year-old Gladys Gune, who was in Senior Two (S.2) and 14-year-old Gloria Anzoa, a Primary Three (P.3) pupil, all residents of Adjumani district.