Kasese attack: Schools ordered to reopen

The directive, which was issued by the District Education Officer, George Mayinja, requires all schools in the district to reopen on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

Mayinja warned the school heads that not opening the schools would amount to them being penalised.

As a result of the recent attack on the Lhubiriha secondary school by alleged rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), several schools were reported to have closed.

Since the incident, the neighbourhood has grown fearful, and reports suggest that several schools have decided to close and send students home.

However, Mayinja has urged restraint and urged school administrators to reopen and resume serious teaching.

Additionally, he requested that school security committees be reinstated and forbade pupils from discussing the most recent ADF incident.

Schools have also been mandated that they hire at least two security guards, one of whom would work during the day and the other at night.

On Friday, June 16, 2023, the Lhubiriha secondary school was assaulted by alleged ADF rebels, who killed 42 people, including 37 kids.

The perpetrators, according to the authorities, used machetes to attack the girls and set fire to the boys' dormitories. 17 male students' charred bodies were found. Six people managed to live with injuries and are currently receiving care at various hospitals across the nation. Only 23 bodies have been given to families for burial, despite the fact that 25 have been inspected and identified so far.

The victims were students, ranging in age from 12 to 25.

The rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces have attacked Uganda in the past. In 25 years, this was the first attack on a school by the ADF.

58 students were killed when the ADF assaulted the Kabarole district's Kichwamba National Technical Institute in June 1998. Students had barricaded themselves in a dormitory at that time to prevent being kidnapped, and the rebels replied by torching the building. Approximately 100 students were kidnapped.

The Allied Democratic Forces are active in the Rwenzururu mountains of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.