Police have taken action after a video surfaced showing a man being publicly flogged by a school director. The incident, which took place at King James School of Nursing and Midwifery in Lira, has sparked outrage across the country. The video, lasting less than two minutes, shows the school director beating the man in front of many students. The beating occurred on February 22, 2025, and has now gone viral.
The man, a clinical officer at Apac General Hospital, was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship with a female nursing student.
According to reports, the woman had been sent to Apac for training, but when her father visited the school to pay her fees, he was told she had gone to the hospital. Upon traveling to Apac, the father was told his daughter had left with her elder brother for prayers. This led to further investigation and rumors that the student was hiding at Omodo Trading Centre with the man.
The school director, Dickson Odongo, followed up on the rumors and discovered the two living together. He brought the man back to the school and publicly beat him, saying that his school was not a place for such relationships. The incident was witnessed by hundreds of students.
A source familiar with the situation explained that the director’s actions were driven by the belief that the student’s future was being harmed by the affair. The director later tried to apologize to the man and promised compensation, but failed to deliver on that promise, which led to the video being shared online.
The director confirmed the incident, claiming it had been resolved in February, and expressed surprise that the video had resurfaced. He stated that the police were handling the matter.
Superintendent of Police Patrick Jimmy Okema said that the case had not been reported to his office at the time but that they were now investigating the incident. He expressed concern over the director’s violent actions and confirmed that they were looking into the assault.
The Ugandan government has been firm in its stance against corporal punishment in schools. Major General (Rtd) Kahinda Otafire, Minister of Internal Affairs, previously directed the police to arrest anyone involved in such acts.
The police have now taken a keen interest in the viral video, and the school director is expected to face arrest for assault.