LIRA CITY, Uganda – The territorial police in Lira City Central Division have registered DEF 12/2025 to investigate the circumstances under which a 5-year-old child drowned in a swimming pool on 13th September 2025.
According to North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, it is alleged that on 13th September 2025 at around 1600 hours, the reporter, Edok Peace, went with a group of children—including the deceased—to Happy Haven Children’s Park in Adyel, Lira City West, for leisure.
It is reported that the deceased left his friends and proceeded to the swimming pool, where he entered an area with deep water and eventually drowned. Efforts to rescue him were unsuccessful.
Police were informed, and a case file (DEF 12/2025) was opened to facilitate investigations. A team led by the OC CID of Lira City Central Division, together with the homicide squad and SOCO, visited the scene. It was documented, and statements were recorded from some witnesses.
The body of the deceased was conveyed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital, where a postmortem examination was conducted.
The child is believed to have entered a section of the pool where the water depth measured approximately 3.3 feet.
Preliminary findings indicate that the pool attendant failed to provide proper guidance or supervision to the child and has since been arrested to aid in the ongoing investigation.
