Ugandan family still troubled after son dies from burns at school and not compensated; mother speaks out in an exclusive interview with Magara Darious the Managing Editor of Eastaffricanwatch.net. Edia Mukaga the Mother to the late Tusiimire Joel Mukaga says they are still howling. Mukaga Johnson Ototo is the father to the late Tusiimire Joel Mukaga. Read the full interview below;
When was your child burned from the school and what were the events like?
My child was burnt on 17th of June.2025
We received the call at.4.00pm that Joel had got an accident. From there we rushed at the clinic called victory where we found something like a pork meat with human body but the head confirmed that was Joel Tusiimire Mukaga.
From there the pain was much and we had to seek for good treatment and we were referred to Kirudu government hospital in Kampala.
At that time my family started organizing for the journey as doctors at Victory began preparing the boy since he had no skin, they looked for all means how he would be put on an ambulance that was to take us from Namayingo to Kampala.
Then what followed?
After preparing Joel, we went to the police and reported the matter at around 10.00 evening and left because now were struggling to rescue Joel’s life where we didn’t have hope of even reaching to Kampala before he dies but Gods ace we reached at Kirudu Kampala at 3.300am.where most of the ambulances were chased away but ours when they looked at Joel they received him very fast. And doctors started working on him on 18th June 2025 he was taken to the theatre by Kirudu team doctors at 12.00pm, and was returned back to us at 6.30am evening. Immediately the doctors met us as a family and told us that our boy’s body was in critical condition and was burnt 70% and ordered us to look for the ambulance to go directly to Mulago referral hospital in department of (ICU intensive care unit) and insisted us to take the boy to Mulago. We joined Mulago ICU block B 5 from 18th to 23rd at 9.30.pm where he had his last breath on 24th of June this year. He was then taken to Mulago mortuary for Postmortem.
What happened after his death?
He was taken to Mulago mortuary for treatment and postmodern and 5.00pm we were given our body and we moved from Mulago mortuary to Busia District, in Masafu main hospital mortuary to keep the body for a while to avoid the bad smell and also us to go back home and we prepare. From the mortuary the report confirmed that Joel died of intensive burns. We removed the body on 26th June.2025 we removed the body from Masafu hospital and took it to ancestral home in Busudia, village Banda Town Council , Buwoya ward Namayingo District. And on 27th he was laid in his final house.
Any more news about the child who pushed your son in a boiler of beans?
That the boy who pushed Joel when the news spread that my son had died his parent came and took him away(egesa Geoffrey osinya) came and took their boy in names of Mukisa Edison(Primary 5) and after the burial was brought back to school for his studies.
Was there any school staff at the time your son got involved in this ‘accident’?
The school said the time of incidence or accident in which my son was burnt that there was no any school staff at the kitchen, no supervisor, even there was no cook that means there was no single staff at the Kitchen and at the school according to school authorities.
It is said that only children o pupils were in the kitchen struggling to get pledge alone.
Has the child who is alleged to have pushed him (Tusiimire Mukaga) into a saucepan of boiling beans been punished?
According to Police and the information we got from the state Attorney in the district is that the child who pushed him was below 18 years and cannot be punished according to the law. And subsequently the state attorney and the DPP’s office close my file and my child’s case was closed.
Did the school compensate you?
I heard that some school staff came for burial like any other mourners and up to now we have never seen nor heard from them, no any apology, no any compensation has been given. For them they buried and went to concentrate on their school business.
Has the child who is alleged to have pushed him (Tusiimire Mukaga) into a saucepan of boiling beans been punished?
According to Police and the information we got from the state Attorney in the district is that the child who pushed him was below 18 years and cannot be punished according to the law. And subsequently the state attorney and the DPP’s office close my file and my child’s case was closed.
It is said that a boy called Mukisa who is in Primary 5 at the same school is the one that dipped my son in a boiler of beans.
So how old was your son?
Joel was to make 11 years on 15th of August, 2025.
And finally what are your appeals to government and the public?
That government attends to my child’s case, I also need some compensation. The school has been silent on my child’s death case, I need help and I need justice. We are still crying to God for help because many people we have asked to help on this case have not helped us.
As the family (parents) we still crying and are filled with many unanswered questions, we do not believe that Joel just perished like a amosquito.
Ugandan family seeks answers after son dies from burns at school in Namayingo
To assist the family one can contact them on mobile numbers – 0782-795160/ 0701-163158 and 0704911893
