Lira, Uganda: Police have launched investigations into a viral video showing the director of King James School of Nursing and Midwifery in Lira publicly flogging a man and a female student accused of engaging in a romantic affair, an incident that has sparked widespread public outrage.
The disturbing video, which surfaced on social media platforms on July 27, captures a scene from February 22, 2025, where the school director, Mr Dickson Odongo, is seen caning a clinical officer in full view of stunned students.
The health worker, reportedly attached to Apac General Hospital, was accused of eloping with a female nursing student from King James School who had been assigned to the hospital for facility-based training.
According to witnesses and insiders familiar with the matter, the drama unfolded after the student’s father went to the school to clear her tuition balance, only to be told she was away on an attachment in Apac District, approximately 60km from Lira City.
The parent proceeded to the hospital but could not find his daughter. Instead, he was informed that her elder brother had taken her home for prayers—an account that raised suspicions, since the father claimed he has no son.
Unable to trace the whereabouts of his daughter, the aggrieved father returned to the school, prompting a frantic search. Word later spread that the student had been spotted living with a man at Omodo Trading Centre.
Mr Odongo, accompanied by others, reportedly located the student and the clinical officer cohabiting in what was described as a “marital-like” arrangement. They were both taken back to the school, where the male victim was flogged in front of students in what the director called a deterrent action against “immorality” and threats to the school’s reputation.
Eyewitnesses say the punishment was meted out as a warning to others and to protect the integrity of the institution. One school source, who preferred anonymity, said the girl’s elopement could have jeopardized her academic and professional future, and that the director’s action, while controversial, was driven by a desire to maintain discipline.
“The director’s act may be criticised by many, but also put yourself in the position of the parent whose daughter’s future is being ruined,” the source said. “Also think about the school director whose institution could be shamed because of such behaviour, even though taking the law into one’s hands is wrong.”
After the incident, Mr Odongo reportedly sought out the victim to apologise and offered him monetary compensation. However, the director allegedly failed to honour the full commitment, prompting the clinical officer to leak the video five months later in July.
Mr Odongo has since confirmed the incident occurred and claimed the matter had already been resolved. “That incident happened in February this year, and it was fully settled. I was so shocked to see the video again on social media. I do not know the motive behind it. I cannot tell you the details of the whole thing because the police are handling the matter,” Mr Odongo said in a phone interview.
When contacted, SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, spokesperson for the North Kyoga Region, said he had only become aware of the incident after the video circulated widely online.
“It is so heartbreaking. You can’t beat a fellow man like that. But anyway, I’m following it up with the regional CID,” Okema said, confirming that police had taken an interest in the matter.
On Monday, July 28, police spokesperson Mr Kituuma Rusoke also weighed in on the matter, confirming that Mr Odongo faces arrest over the assault. “We have taken an interest in the video. The perpetrator will be arrested and charged accordingly,” Rusoke told journalists in Kampala.
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