Sebamanya being escorted by a Prison warder at Luwero Grade One Magistrate’s Court
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Ugandan authorities are on the lookout for a school director accused of defiling and impregnating a 15-year-old Senior One student, adding to the growing concern of child exploitation in educational institutions.
The victim, a student at Busolwe Students Centre in Busolwe town council, Butaleja district, reportedly fell victim to the actions of Titus Hibaja, the director of Tisha Junior School, also located in Busolwe town council.
Moses Mugwe, the spokesperson for Bukedi South regional Police, has confirmed the allegations and identified Titus Hibaja as the suspect in this disturbing case.
The matter came to light when a relative of the victim, Godfrey Muwanguzi, discovered a mobile phone in the possession of the young girl, which contained love messages and troubling communication from the school director, including pleas for an abortion.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the alleged offenses occurred between July of the previous year and July of this year within the premises of Hibaja’s school. The situation escalated on September 8, when the victim did not return home after attending a class activity in Tororo with fellow Compassion International-sponsored students.
Upon her return, the girl’s parents discovered the incriminating messages purportedly from Hibaja on the small mobile phone. The shocking content, including messages about abortion, prompted the family to report the matter to the police.
During police questioning, the victim disclosed that she had been involved with the school director since 2020. She claimed that Hibaja initiated the relationship, luring her into sexual encounters on the school premises, including his office and the school canteen, even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to lockdown restrictions, the two were separated, but they resumed their relationship once restrictions were lifted in 2022. The victim sat for her Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Hibaja’s school, and she subsequently joined Busolwe Students Centre for her secondary education.
The victim alleges that the director gave her a mobile phone to maintain contact and continued to have sexual encounters with her, even during study sessions. She further revealed that Hibaja threatened her into silence, warning her not to disclose the incidents to anyone.
An official case file, CRB: 56/2023, has been opened at Busolwe Police Station, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities have urged the public to provide any information that may lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect, who is currently evading capture.
This incident is not an isolated case, as just last week, police in Luwero district arrested another school director, Jona Sebamanya, for allegedly defiling three Primary Seven candidates. Sebamanya has been charged with defilement and remanded to prison, highlighting the urgent need to address child exploitation and safeguard students within the educational system
