The Association that brings together former students of Kibuli Secondary School has demanded that the school’s Board of Governors retires the embattled headteacher, Haji Ali Mugagga in the interest of the public. They say this will prevent any further damage to the school that is currently grappling with allegations of sexual abuse against students.
A group of members who sit on the Kibuli Secondary School Old Students’ Association (KOSA) executive addressed a press conference on Friday to reveal findings from an investigation into the allegations.
The allegations emerged in January this year when a group of whistleblowers released damning revelations implicating the headteacher, Hajji Mugaga for sexually abusing female students and some staffers.
The whistleblowers who undertook covert investigations and interviewed some of the victims claimed that for several years, Mugagga has sexually exploited underaged girls, female teachers and parents with impunity. He allegedly lured the girls into sex in exchange for money and support for their education.
They further accused Mugagga, a long time educationist of impregnating young girls, majority from poor families and forcing them to abort.
It is these gross allegations and other problems at the Muslim founded Kibuli S.S that prompted the Old Students’ body to conduct a three week long probe in abid to restore the institution’s glory.
A statement issued to the press by the Kibuli S.S Old Students’ Association on Friday confirmed earlier claims, stating that “there appears to be cartel of sexual predator staff at the school who prey on girls from poor background especially using the lure of sports scholarships”.
“All former staff, current staff and members of the public who spoke to the commmittee regarding sexual abuse allegations live in fear, retribution and mistreatment by school top management,” the statement adds.
City lawyer, Agaba Abasi who sits on the KOSA Executive said that details of the report on the findings of the investigations are still confidential so as not to jeopardize other parallel ongoing probes into the issue by both the School’s Board and the Ministry of Education.
When asked about the degree of the sexual abuse at the school, Abasi said; “All we can reveal is – the alleged victims were taken advantage of. Whichever way you want to look at it, it is bad”.
“It pains us as old students and parents at the school. We want action to be taken to protect the moral public of the school and to protect the girl children, especially those from humble backgrounds,” he said.
They are demanding that the school adopts a Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Prevention Policy in which all teachers, support staff, contractors and volunteers should sign, as a way of regulating conduct towards students. They also want the school to employ qualified and mature counsellors to guide the students who reauire psychosocial support.
Other concerns raised by the old students relate to insider trading by school authorities, nepotism, understaffing and overcrowding.