Child beaten to death, mother cries for justice

CRIME    MURDER

KAMPALA - Justice is a far cry for the mother of a six-year-old girl who allegedly succumbed to injuries she sustained after being flogged at school.

Lewis Kainerugaba, also commonly known as Nalongo, says her daughter's life was cut short by a woman whose hateful actions can never be forgiven.

Queen Alba Kainerugaba, a primary one pupil at Home Kindergarten and Primary school was allegedly clobbered by her teacher identified as Juliet Nuwamanya in February and she sustained visible injuries on her back and thighs.

 
According to Kainerugaba, the family decided to report the matter to the school administration which agreed to dismiss the teacher after holding a meeting with  Queen's grandmother and caregiver Goretti Ndori,  school's headteacher John Nsimbe and school director Eddie Kisakye.

Kainerugaba says the school also agreed to foot the minor's medical bills.

"The school director, Kisakye offered sh320,000 for Queen's treatment at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya that came in installments of sh100,000. However, he tried to downplay the severity of Queen's injuries saying she would be fine." Kainerugaba says.

 
Queen died on Monday as she was being transferred to Mulago Hospital from St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, where she was being treated for injuries on her back and thighs for several days.

Kainerugaba says they should have reported the matter to the Police sooner but they had decided to handle the matter privately because hoped Queen would recover and return to her normal life.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said the Police have arrested three suspects. These are Juliet Nuwamanya, the teacher accused of beating Kainerugaba, John Nsimbe, the school headteacher and Eddie Kisakye, the school director.

Onyango said the suspects who are detained at Najjera Police Station face charges of murder. He told New Vision that the Police carried out a post-mortem examination on Tuesday, which revealed that the minor died due to abnormal blood clotting.

Onyango said a complaint was filed at Najjera Police Station, last month, by Nsimbe that one of the teachers had used excessive force while punishing a Primary One pupil, and as a result, the pupil was experiencing serious health complications. He said the complaint was filed 19 days after the incident because the school and the minor's guardians had agreed to settle the matter privately.

"Upon receiving information, the Police arrested the headteacher and the school's director to assist in the investigations. A Police operation led us to Katabi town council in Entebbe, where we found the fugitive suspect teaching in another nursery school," Onyango said.

He said the assault on the minor could have worsened a pre-existing condition that the family was unaware of. Onyango cautioned all educators to find alternative ways of disciplining pupils.

Goretti Ndori, Kainerugaba's grandmother and caregiver, said the granddaughter's death was tragic. Kainerugaba was living with Ndori in Najjera and would be regularly visited by her mother Lewis Kainerugaba.

The late Kainerugaba's father, Ivan Nuwagaba and wife live and work in Belgium.

Brenda Natukunda, one of Queen's aunties says Queen's last days were really.

"She was vomiting so much blood that the doctors recommended a blood sample be taken to Kampala medical chambers to verify what they were suspecting," says Natukunda.