Soroti City MP Joan Alobo, 12 Others Charged Over School Arson
The court heard that on March 6, a mob stormed the school and set it ablaze in protest over the handling of the murder case of Joan Faith Apio, a young girl whose body was discovered in a pit-latrine.
Soroti City Woman MP Joan Achom Alobo and 12 others have been charged with arson, malicious damage, theft, destruction of school buildings, and inciting violence following the burning of Jozan Nursery and Primary School.
The legislator and her co-accused persons appeared before the Soroti Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday and denied the charges.
The court heard that on March 6, a mob stormed the school and set it ablaze in protest over the handling of the murder case of Joan Faith Apio, a young girl whose body was discovered in a pit-latrine.
According to the prosecution, the attack was fueled by public frustration over what was perceived as a slow and unfair judicial process in Apio’s case.
Ms Alobo, as a political leader, allegedly played a key role in mobilizing the group, which vandalized classrooms and set school structures on fire, causing significant financial losses.
Despite the accusations, Alobo and her co-accused were granted bail. The MP was released on a Shs10 million non-cash bail and a Shs2 million cash bond, with Soroti District Woman MP Anna Adeke Ebaju and Soroti City East Division Mayor Paul Omer standing as her sureties.
Ms Alobo had been arrested a day after the school arson during a separate demonstration dubbed, “No Cow, No Vote” in Soroti City East, which she attended alongside FDC President Patrick Amuriat.
The protest was in response to alleged injustices and economic hardships in the region.
The case has intensified calls for justice for Joan Faith Apio, with residents demanding swift prosecution of those responsible for her murder while also questioning whether violence was the right approach.
The court adjourned the case to a later date, ordering the accused to reappear for further hearing. Authorities have urged the public to seek peaceful means of expressing grievances instead of resorting to destruction.
