Rakai School Fire: Students sent back to prison

Jan 11, 2019

The students have 10 counts of murder, 37 of attempted murder, 2 attempted arsons and one malicious damage. But Tayebwa and Nzeyimaana were charged with negligence of duty.

FIRE   DEATH  INVESTIGATION

The six suspects in St. Bernard's Mannya SS fire incident were on Thursday remanded in Masaka Prison for the third time.

They are Alex Taremwa, 18; Junior Mugarura, 18; Dickson Kisuule, 18 and Niyo Edison 21 (all students). Others include Michael Tayebwa, a security guard and a police officer Steven Nzeyimana.

They appeared before Grade One Magistrate Christopher Adyeri, who adjourned their case until February 15, 2019.  

State prosecution said investigations were still on.

The suspects have appeared in court three times, hoping the case will take another step, such as committal, only to be returned to prison.

They first appeared before the Chief Magistrates Court on November 27, 2018. Other subsequent sessions were December 13, 2018 and January 10, 2019. 

However, family members of the suspects turned up in quite a number unlike in the previous two sessions. But the adjournment and remand provoked bitter feelings among them.

Some parents were heard complaining that the delayed investigations are hurting the whole case, yet they want justice to prevail.

Moses Mujumba (Kisuule's father) said he wants the process expedited for his son to have justice.

He maintained that his son is innocent because he was already in custody at Mannya Police station two days before the incident.

Kisuule had been arrested for refusing to go back home when the school expelled him for alleged misconduct.

The students have 10 counts of murder, 37 of attempted murder, 2 attempted arsons and one malicious damage. But Tayebwa and Nzeyimaana were charged with negligence of duty.

The gruesome incident occurred on Sunday November 11, 2018 when unknown people torched a Senior Three dormitory. Ten students were killed and 37 injured as well as destruction of property worth millions of shillings. 

Delayed investigations
The Police sources told New Vision that the investigations are still ongoing and the delays are justifiable because given the nature of the case. It is said that there are still more suspects being hunted to add them on the file.

In December last year, the Uganda People's Defense Forces -Armoured Brigade in Masaka joined the ongoing investigations in fire incident.

The Intelligence Officers said they are looking for more than three other key suspects in connection with the dreadful incident.

Maj. Flavior Terimurungi, the Armoured Brigade spokesperson, confirmed the joint operation, but declined to divulge details.
 
The Internal Security Organisation (ISO) had earlier picked Joseph Sserunjogi, the St. Bernard's- Mannya SS Bursar, as another suspect, but released him after.

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