Patrick Oboi Amuriat, the President of the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party, and party leaders from Kasese District have asked President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to take immediate action on the responsible security and intelligence personnel over the terrorist attack in Kasese.

The attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School on 16th June 2023 by suspected elements of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), left thirty-seven (37) students dead, five other residents also killed and scores of students abducted in the attack orchestrated

According to the FDC officials, the attack was possible due to security lapses in Kasese which they partly blamed on negligence by security operatives.

They made the remarks while addressing journalists at the FDC party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala.

On the night of 16th June 2023, suspected militants of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) from the neighboring DRC attacked Lhubiriha Secondary School in Kasese District, leaving 42 people dead, the majority of who were students.

Former Kasese Municipality MP, Robert Centenary Bwambale, accused the government of negligence. According to Centenary, the government has detectives in the police and operatives in the intelligence agencies including the Internal Security Organization (ISO) who failed to do their job.

He said that the terrorists spent a lot of time at Lhubiriha Secondary School, killing the students and causing atrocities but there was no response from security agencies.

The FDC Deputy President of Western Region, William Nzoghu refuted claims by some government officials that the perpetrators of the attacks could have worked with those in dispute about the ownership of the school. According to Nzoghu, who is also a former MP for Busongora South in Kasese District, such a narrative is intended to confuse Ugandans and deny them the truth about the Kasese school atrocities.

The opposition politicians have asked the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to hold the security officials accountable for negligence of duty.

It is said that about six students are still missing. They were reportedly abducted by the suspected ADF terrorists. Kasese District Woman MP, Florence Kabugho hopes the terrorists can find mercy in their hearts and free the abducted students.

The government has given each of the bereaved families 5 million shillings to meet burial expenses. The money was handed over to the families by Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, the State Minister for Higher Education, alongside Ketty Lamaro, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports. But FDC party President Patrick Oboi Amuriat says the sum is inadequate.

Cathy