Emotional farewell as road crash cuts short promising life of Soroti teacher

SOROTI - A cloud of grief descended on Awoja Primary School in Soroti district on Tuesday as a funeral ambulance pulled into the compound carrying the body of teacher John Okedi, 34.

On an ordinary school day, pupils would have been seated in classrooms learning English and Mathematics from the soft-spoken educator. Instead, the school community gathered in tears as the man who had dedicated his life to teaching returned to the school he loved, lying still in a white coffin.

Parents, teachers and pupils broke down as pallbearers carefully lifted the casket from the ambulance. The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow as hymns from the Anglican choir were repeatedly interrupted by sobs and cries from mourners struggling to accept the sudden loss.

One voice stood out above the grief.

"Get out, sir! Why are you hiding inside the box today?" cried Patricia Apio, a young pupil whose words pierced the hearts of those gathered.

Her innocent plea triggered fresh tears among mourners, including men who struggled to contain their emotions.

Classes were suspended as learners and staff mourned a teacher many described as hardworking, approachable and deeply committed to his profession.

The relatives with children of the deceased as they were introduced to the mourners at the school as the coffin containing the body of their dad lied before mourners. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

For Okedi, Awoja Primary School was more than a workplace. It was the first school where he served as a government teacher after joining the public service. Although he had spent only three years at the school, he had already built a reputation as a dedicated educator and mentor to hundreds of learners.

His promising journey, however, came to a tragic end on the afternoon of May 30, 2026, about 100 metres from the school gate.

According to reports, Okedi had gone to a nearby trading centre to collect his mobile phone, which had been left charging.

As he returned home, a Suzuki motor vehicle, registration number UA 508CC, travelling in the same direction, allegedly knocked him from behind on the Soroti–Mbale highway, killing him instantly.

"The driver was playing loud music that we found still blasting after the crash. We do not know whether he was drunk or simply reckless," said Lawrence Oriokot, the chairperson of the School Management Committee.

Beyond the statistics of a road accident lies a far heavier burden for the family he left behind.

Okedi leaves behind a young widow and three children, the youngest only three months old and the eldest in Primary One. The children now face life without a father at an age when they need him most.

A teacher of Awoja breaking down upon arrival of the body of his colleague. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

Their loss is made even more painful by the fact that both paternal grandparents died before the children were born, leaving them with few family pillars to lean on.

Family members say Okedi's life had been marked by hardship long before he became a teacher.

"All our parents died before he even started secondary school," recalled his elder brother, Samuel Olego. "As the eldest brother, I took responsibility for his education until he graduated as a Grade III teacher from Soroti Core Primary Teachers College."

Standing beside the coffin, Olego spoke with visible pain, knowing that the responsibility he once carried for his younger brother now extends to the three children left behind.

"That woman is still very young. She needs support to raise those children, and I will stand with them because I am now the head of the family," he said while struggling to hold back tears.

Police say the suspected driver remains on the run.

According to Soroti district police commander Moses Olang, investigations into the fatal crash are ongoing.

The accident has also reignited concerns about road safety in Aukot parish, where residents describe the crash scene as a notorious black spot.

"This is the third person to be killed at that spot. Many others have suffered serious injuries and amputations after being knocked by speeding vehicles," said resident Abraham Epuru.

Local leaders say repeated requests for traffic-calming measures have yielded little response.

Jessica Florence Akiteng, the district councillor representing Aukot, expressed frustration that appeals to the Ministry of Works and Transport for road humps have not been acted upon.

Parents and children together with teachers pray for the family of departed Okedi.

"What pains me is that many of the victims are my voters. Perhaps now that a government teacher has been killed, the ministry will finally listen and erect humps," she said.

Awoja Primary School head teacher David Okiror said both learners and teachers remain exposed to danger from speeding vehicles using the recently upgraded road.

"This tragedy has devastated us. We have lost a valuable teacher, and replacing teachers often takes a long time. Our learners will suffer the consequences," he said.

Robert Ewou, the vice chairperson of Soroti district and a son of the area, said several residents and at least three schoolchildren have lost their lives along the same stretch of road in recent years.

During the funeral service, Rev. Deacon Paul Ochola of Aukot Anglican Parish reminded mourners that while death is inevitable, many road crashes are preventable.

He urged motorists to drive responsibly and avoid excessive speed, warning that the newly tarmacked road had become a deadly trap for road users.

The tragedy comes against the backdrop of rising road crashes nationwide. Uganda's Annual Crime Report, released in March, recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, including 4,602 fatal crashes, 13,563 serious crashes and 7,877 minor crashes.

For the people of Awoja, however, the numbers mean little compared to the painful reality before them.

They have not merely lost a statistic. They have lost a teacher, a colleague, a brother, a husband and a father whose dreams ended abruptly on a road he travelled almost every day.

As mourners bid farewell, the greatest concern remained the future of the three young children left behind, children who will now grow up knowing their father only through stories, photographs and the memories of a community that loved him.

He will be laid to rest on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at his ancestral home in Atiira subcounty, Serere district.