Kitagwenda Students Retaliate After Colleague's Murder, Causing Mass Displacement

Residents of Nyalugogo Cell in Kitagwenda District are living in fear following a violent reprisal by students of Kitagwenda High School. The students are believed to have attacked the village after the discovery of the body of their colleague, 18-year-old Alinda Anesmus, an S.4 candidate, in a local coffee plantation on Sunday afternoon.

Eyewitnesses reported that the students, initially gathering at the school, began by pelting stones at residents. In the evening, they allegedly stormed the village, destroying property, slaughtering livestock including chickens and goats, and setting several houses ablaze. Many families, like that of Ms. Scovia Owamaziima, were forced to seek refuge in a nearby church, having lost all their possessions.

Ms. Jolly Kebirungi, whose coffee plantation was the scene where the student’s body was found, recounted the harrowing experience. Her home was set on fire, and valuable property, including over 50 chickens and even a dog, were destroyed or harmed. She narrowly escaped by hiding in a toilet before fleeing to the church. Her husband was reportedly taken in for questioning due to a perceived connection with a nearby sugarcane plantation where the deceased was allegedly last seen.

The school’s headteacher, Mr. Simon Ahimbisibwe, confirmed the death of their student and stated that the situation at the school had calmed down, although some students were seen outside the premises. The Rwenzori West Police spokesperson, SP Vincent Twesige, confirmed that the deceased sustained multiple cut wounds. Two local residents have been arrested in connection with the murder and are aiding police investigations.

https://www.monitor.ug/uganda/news/national/photos-families-flee-as-kitagwenda-students-attack-village-over-murdered-colleague-5505178