Armed assailants shoot teacher dead in raid at Moroto school

MOROTO, UGANDA: A female teacher at Atedeoi primary school, Lotisan Sub County in Moroto District was shot and killed by suspected armed warriors who raided the school on Wednesday night and injured her husband and child in the process.

The incident happened at 10 pm when the armed assailants about 10 in number overpowered the security guard at the school and attacked the room of Joy Chebet, a support teacher at the school.

Mr Julius Okello, a teacher at the school said that the suspected warriors first attacked the classroom block where primary seven pupils were sleeping, then advanced to the teachers’ block where they shot and killed Chebet, before turning strides at her husband who tried to fight them.

“In a scuffle that followed, Chebet’s husband, Peter Chepskor was shot in the shuttered testicles. He’s currently admitted at Moroto regional referral hospital alongside his child,” Mr Okello said.

Mr Okello said this is not the first time Atedeoi primary school is being attacked, with the last attack coming during the Covid lockdown when armed warriors turned one classroom into their hiding sanctuary but they were later apprehended by security.

“We have actually been told to temporarily leave the school for a safer place until the situation calms down,” he said.

Ms Rose Ayuru, another teacher at the school said her colleague (Chebet) bled for over an hour before she died due to a delay in response to the attack from the concerned district authorities.

“Had the district authorities intervened early after being alerted, maybe her life would have been saved,” she said.

Mr Paul Oputa, the District Education Officer, Moroto said they have taken action to temporarily close the school in order to enable the teachers to recover from the trauma caused by Wednesday night’s incident.

“We are relocating the teachers to a safer place in Moroto town to have them recover from the trauma they went through when the warriors attacked,” Mr Oputa said.

Mr Michael Longole, the spokesperson for Mount Moroto region police said some suspects had been arrested as investigations continue.

“The situation is calm, and the police and sister security forces are investigating the incident,” Mr Longole assured.

Atedeoi primary school in Lotisan Sub County in the mineral-rich region has 1,038 pupils with nine government teachers, two support teachers and eight others facilitated by save the children international.