A disturbing video showing the violent assault of a man and a young woman at King James School of Comprehensive Nursing and Midwifery in Lira City has sparked national outrage and renewed calls for accountability in Uganda’s education sector.
The video, which began circulating widely on social media over the weekend, shows Dickson Odongo, the director of the institution, mercilessly beating a man with a stick while a group of onlookers—reportedly students—watch from nearby.
In the same footage, Odongo is later seen slapping and kicking a young woman who had been dragged into the school compound by two unidentified men.
In the one-minute, 36-second clip, the male victim is seen lying helpless on the ground as Odongo strikes him repeatedly, at one point stepping on him before fetching another stick to continue the assault.
The woman, later identified as a student, is immediately attacked upon her arrival at the scene.
When contacted by this publication for comment, Odongo responded briefly, stating, “The matter is now in court,” before hanging up.
Initial public reaction to the video assumed the assault was recent, but police have since clarified the events occurred earlier this year.
Speaking on Monday, North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema confirmed that the incident took place on February 22, 2025, and was reported to police by the male victim, a resident of Apac District, four days later.
“The matter was thoroughly investigated under the relevant case reference at Lira City West Division Police,” said Okema.
“The file was submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for independent review.”
He added that several suspects captured in the footage are still being traced and cautioned the public against speculating, warning that it could compromise ongoing investigations.
The Uganda Law Society (ULS) has also taken note of the case. In a statement issued Monday, ULS Vice President Anthony Asiimwe confirmed that the matter had been reported at the Lira Regional CID Office and that the organization’s Rule of Law Department had verified the incident in consultation with relevant state agencies.
“We are closely monitoring the developments and urge authorities to pursue this case to its logical conclusion in line with the rule of law,” Asiimwe said.
Attempts to resolve the issue privately, ULS noted, had failed.
The case comes just days after Internal Affairs Minister Kahinda Otafiire issued a sharp warning to school administrators across the country against corporal punishment. In a letter dated July 24, 2025, Otafiire stressed that such acts were illegal and a violation of Uganda’s constitutional protections against inhuman or degrading treatment.
“No person, regardless of their position, has the right to subject another to inhuman or degrading treatment under the pretext of discipline,” Otafiire wrote.
The King James School of Comprehensive Nursing and Midwifery, located in Ongica 'B' Cell, Anai Ward in Lira City West Division, has yet to issue any official statement regarding the incident involving its director.
As the video continues to circulate online, civil society voices have grown louder, calling for justice and systemic reforms to prevent similar abuses of authority in Uganda’s schools.
Police and the Uganda Law Society have urged the public to stay calm and allow the legal process to unfold without interference.
However, for many in Lira and beyond, the footage has become a grim symbol of unchecked power and the urgent need for institutional accountability.