Luwero District Grapples with Defilement Crisis: Another School Director Arrested
In a recent development in Luwero Town Council, Jonah Ssebanenya, the director of Kings Palace Primary School, has been remanded by the Luwero Grade One Magistrate court on charges of alleged aggravated defilement and child trafficking. Ssebanenya, also a medical worker at Katuugo Health Center III in Luwero sub-county, faces accusations of defiling six pupils aged between 13-17 years, who were Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidates in Primary Seven.
Appearing before Grade One Magistrate John Paul Obuya, Ssebanenya was charged with two counts of aggravated defilement, as per section 129 (3) (4) (a) and (C) of the Penal Code Act, along with child trafficking. State Attorney Sandra Nakire, leading the prosecution, informed the court that the alleged incidents occurred between September and October 2023, involving a sexual act with a 17-year-old pupil in Kikubajinja zone, Luwero town. Nakire requested an adjournment, citing ongoing inquiries.
Magistrate Obuya, however, clarified that his court lacked jurisdiction for the cases and directed Ssebanenya to enter a plea in the High Court. Consequently, Ssebanenya was remanded to Butuntumula prison until November 2023, when he is scheduled to return for mention of his cases.
Luwero District grapples with a rising trend of defilement cases, both within schools and communities. The arrest of Shadrack Kabugo, a teacher at Rapha Primary School, further underscores this concern. Kabugo faces accusations of defiling a 13-year-old pupil, and he has been remanded until November 22, 2023, for mention of the aggravated case against him.
According to the Police crime report, Luwero District reported a total of 166 defilement cases in 2022, with 68 cases classified as aggravated, ranking the district in the second position with the highest number of cases. The situation signals a broader challenge that the community and authorities must address promptly.