Uganda Police have charged two teachers of Lubiri High School over neglect to prevent indecent behavior among students who mishaved in a bus while returning from a study trip in Jinja.
In June this year, there was a public uproar when a video surfaced online showing students (boys and girls) travelling in a bus belonging to Midland High School, rub-a-dubbing themselves in a very sensual manner.
However, the administration of Midland High School was quick to come out to distance itself from such an immoral act saying that the students seen in the viral video belong to Lubiri High School since it’s the latter who hired their bus for an agriculture tour on 10th June, 2022.
“These were not students of our school. Midland High School is a school built on a very strong Christian foundation and strongly condemn behaviors of this kind. We very rigorously control our learning and living environment to ensure behavior of this kind is not given an opportunity to thrive,” FX Kyasa, the headteacher of Midland High School said in a statement.
Mr Kyasa also noted that they hired their bus to Lubiri High School at a fee of Shs1 million.
“We will support our bus hire customers to ensure they manage this very unfortunate incident in the most appropriate manner. Our bus hire services will continue with more rigorous screening of our clients and their on bus passenger management.”
All this was said as Lubiri High School remained hesitant to openly talk about the matter. The school only said, it was investigating what really happened on the fateful day.
Nevertheless, the school administration on Sunday 12th June, 2022 issued a statement where it admitted that indeed it hired a bus from Midland High School and the students who were on the bus belong to them.
“There’s a video circulating on social media involving alleged misconduct of students on Midland High School bus. As Lubiri High School, however we apologise to Midland High School where we hired a bus and to the public at large for the alleged misconduct.The student on board belong to our school. They had gone for an agricultral show to Jinja,” Lubiri High School management said.
Since then, Police through the Directorate of Criminal Investigations have been investigating the matter and today they revealed that two teachers belonging to Lubiri High School have been charged with Neglect to Prevent a Felony, C/S 389 of the Penal Code.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga identified the teacher charged as Mr.Joseph Nsubuga and Ms. Lydia Nabakka.
“Following legal guidance from the Director of Public Prosecutions-DPP, it was established that there was lack of enough supervision by the teachers during the field trip. As a result, we are recommending to the school management, the immediate suspension of students who participated in the indecent behavior and those who recorded and posted the videos on social media. This will act as a lesson to other students in school, to behave in a more responsible manner. Upon their return to school, they will be counseled by probation officers in charge of the area, on appropriate behavior and how to refocus their attention on learning,” Enanga said in a statement on Friday.
“It was further established that the bus carried 73 students, which was more than the sitting capacity of 67 students. Although, the driver did not solicit the number of students, which is excusable, it was not appropriate for the school to assign only two teachers, who failed to properly supervise the bus activities. All teachers charged with the duty of superitending students in school, must exercise reasonable supervision over them and the attendant circumstances. In this instance, instead of warning the students, they left them to behave in an egregious and unsafe manner.”
Enanga also warned school administrators, that such acts exposed the students to danger, thus calling for further vigilance.
” Remember when parents bring their children to school, it is a duty of the school management to take care of their children and ensure they are safe.”
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