School matron charged with murder of Soroti pupil

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The matron of Jozan Nursery and Primary School, Osula Adongo, aged 34, was charged on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, with the murder of Joan Faith Apio, 5, a former Primary One pupil at Jozan.

This now brings the number of people charged with Apio’s murder to eight.

The accused include a police officer attached to Crime Intelligence, East Division Police in Soroti city, John Bosco Obotol, 34, Joseph Okedi, the school director, Okedi’s wife, Suzan Vivian Ariokot, 38, who served as the school co-director, James Edoket, 32, the school headmaster, Valentin Opio, 37, the school cook, and two minors, including Okedi’s daughter.

The Grade One Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Kibirige Apollo Kasuja, remanded Adongo to Mbale Prison until March 6, 2025, when the case will come up for mention alongside her co-accused, who were remanded on February 19, 2025.

Osula Adongo, a matron charged with murder of Joan Faith Apio. (Credit: Godfrey Ojore)

The magistrate, in an amended charge sheet, told Adongo, who wore a T-shirt and a long skirt, that:

"On February 5, 2025, at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in East Division, Soroti City, with malice aforethought, and unlawfully caused the death of Joan Faith Apio."

Emmanuel Bamesigye, the state attorney, informed the court that investigations into the case were still ongoing.

He requested that Adongo be remanded in Mbale to prevent her from being detained with Ariokot, her boss, who is currently in Soroti Prison. The court granted his request.

Resident City Commissioner, Peter Pex Paak, recently revealed that Apio was murdered as a sacrifice.

"The investigating detectives, comprising the police and Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), were instructed to examine three areas: possible sacrifice, possible rivalry and sabotage, or family wrangles," Paak said.

"We confirmed that it was a sacrifice! We are still looking for one person who was standing at the fence who received the blood of Apio in a black polythene bag!" Paak said, shocking mourners.

During Apio’s burial, the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen. Sam Okiding, told mourners that Apio was slaughtered by a woman.

"During our investigations, we wanted to establish who exactly killed Apio; however, according to our shocking findings, Apio was slaughtered by a woman!" Gen. Okiding said, evoking strong feelings of anger among the mourners.

"A woman who knows the pain of giving birth to a child shamelessly slaughtered Apio! Our innocent daughter was killed as a sacrifice for riches!" Gen. Okiding said as he wept.