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The police have declined to release the contents of CCTV footage related to the drowning of a student at Seeta High School, citing an ongoing investigation.
Kevin Nsamba, a 21-year-old senior six student, reportedly drowned in the school’s swimming pool on Sunday, August 3.
A school statement claimed that after a football match, Nsamba, who did not know how to swim, and other students entered the pool without authorisation.
The administration stated they were unaware of the incident until a roll call later that evening revealed Nsamba was missing. His body was later recovered from the pool. The school’s swimming pool lifeguard, Kato Diriisa, has been arrested to assist with police inquiries.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that authorities have retrieved and reviewed the CCTV footage but stated that its contents cannot be disclosed to the public at this time.
When asked about the school’s potential liability, Rusoke explained that police are still investigating the management protocols and safety guidelines surrounding the school’s swimming pool.
“We’ve charged the pool attendant, who was responsible for ensuring student safety, and we’re holding him pending guidance from the director of public prosecutions,” Rusoke said.
“However, other aspects still need to be examined, particularly the school’s safety measures.”
Rusoke also used the opportunity to caution all schools, hotels, and other facilities with swimming pools to ensure they have clear safety measures and compliance. He noted that many facilities lack essential safety features and qualified lifeguards, often leading to negligence.
“We’ve observed that lifeguards often prioritise training and coaching activities over their core responsibility. Some lifeguards are also unqualified, and when investigations unfold at all these swimming pools, things get complicated,” he said.
Rusoke added that investigations into safety measures will be extended to all swimming pools to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Nsamba is not the first student death to rock Seeta High School this year. The two back-to-back student deaths have raised serious questions about safety and transparency at the institution known for its academic excellence, and owned by the state minister for Higher Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo.
Just months before Nsamba’s death, another student, 16-year-old Elishama Ssesaazi, a senior three student at the school’s main campus, was found dead in a dormitory.
Police investigations into that case, which was initially reported as a suicide, have remained inconclusive. The death sparked public outrage, particularly after the school reportedly reversed its initial statement on the cause of death.
Ssesaazi’s family and investigators expressed scepticism about the suicide narrative. The family’s requests to access the body before it was taken away by police were reportedly denied, and questions were raised about the logistics of a student hanging himself from a triple-decker bed.
The lack of witness statements and a clear police report in the Ssesaazi case left many demanding answers.
