Makindye,Kampala

Nambi Rhodah, a distraught mother from Makindye-Luwaafu, remains trapped in a deep depression following the tragic and untimely death of her six-year-old daughter, Joanna Muyanja.
Because of grief, Nambi resolved to isolating herself in her bedroom, weeping endlessly. In her sorrow, Nambi murmurs, “Of all children, God, why did you decide to call mine?”
Joanna’s life was tragically cut short on the evening of March 25,2025,after sustaining severe injuries from Savannah Kindergarten and Day Care School’s van.
This School is located in Makindye opposite the Makindye Military Barracks and Joanna was a pupil in Primary 1.

HOW THE FAMILY GOT TO LEARN OF THIS TRAGEDY

In floods of tears Nambi unfolded that at around 6 pm on that fateful evening, she received a call from one of the school administrators informing her that Joanna had become seriously ill and was being rushed to Kiruddu Hospital. Concerned Nambi in company of other family members, navigated the heavy traffic and arrived at the hospital at around 8 pm.After checking in, they immediately inquired about their patient but they were stunned to learn that Joanna had not been admitted to the hospital.
Frantic calls to the school yielded no answers, and it was not until around 10 pm that the school Principal contacted the family, directing them to Mulago Hospital
At around 11:15pm they arrived at Mulago but were horror struck to land on Joanna’s lifeless body laid on a concealment trolley in the corridor that links to the ward that they had been told that Joanna was being admitted from.
Here Nambi burst Into tears and screamed that “Savannah is indeed a bad school, In the morning I handed to them alive and kicking child but in the evening those inhuman people called me to receive a corpse…?!
POLICE FORBIDS FAMILY FROM OPENING UP A CASE
When interviewing Nambi seemed to be more of psychological torture, we asked her to go take some rest and proceeded with Joanna’s uncle,Ssemazzi Akim.
Devastated Ssemazzi said that even though he believes that someone can die at any time, the missing gaps in the information provided to them as the cause of Joanna’s death wasn’t satisfying which forced them to go to the Katwe Police station to file up a case but to their surprise the CID officer and the OC Operations played them hide and seek.
When one of Nambi’s sisters continued to press the OC operations hard, he reacted by threatening to slap her.
It’s here that Ssemazzi thinks that the unprofessionalism exhibited by these officers of the Law must have been sponsored by the school because the school’s proprietor is well-connected to the state, which may explain the authorities’ reluctance to pursue a full investigation.
Ssemazzi bases this insinuation on the fact that during Joanna’s burial in Kalangalaalo-Mityana,one of their relatives spoke out against the school’s carelessness to children to be cause of death of their daughter, one of the security officer that had come with the school Proprietor attempted to arrest the relative which sparked off a commotion at the burial as the mourners opposed her arrest.

HOW JOANNA PASSED ON
Patrick Onyango,the Kampala and Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated that Joanna’s death came about when the speeding school van hit a pothole, in that way Joanna struck her head on a certain sharp metal of the van, leading to a fatal injury.

Onyango added that after serious investigations, the van caretaker, Kevin was arrested and charged with careless driving and negligence but what this mighty website gathers shows that last week Kevin was taken to Makindye Chief Magistrate Court that later granted him bail.
FAMILY PUNCHES HOLES IN THIS REPORT
However, the contradiction in the police report from the story the school narrated to the parents and what the autopsy report indicated raised serious questions
Ssemazzi has pointed out several inconsistencies;
1)Strangulation Marks:-The autopsy indicated Joanna had strangulation marks around her neck. Its here the family bases to ask, who was strangling our child?
2)Injury Without Blood:-The report mentioned that Joanna’s corpse had a 7-inch injury on the right hand side of the jaw but surprisingly her uniform was not stained with blood. Its here the family bases to ask, How could such a severe injury occur without visible blood stains in the uniform?
B)Let the Police and School show them the metal in the van that pierced their child that deep
3)Delayed Response from the School:-Initially the school informed Joanna’s family that Joanna had been admitted to Kiruddu Hospital, but this was later proven false. Its here the family bases to ask that was this a deliberate attempt to delay the family’s response and possibly alter the evidence?
4)Police’s obstruction of the family to open up a file case:-Here the family asks was this unprofessional action due to the school’s possible involvement in preventing justice and who is the complainant in the case against the school in court
THE SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE SACRIFICED OUR CHILD
Since the circumstances surrounding Joanna’s death involve strangulation and a neck wound, Ssemazzi expressed concern that the school may have been involved in something far darker, even suggesting the possibility of a ritual sacrifice.
While these accusations are shocking and deeply unsettling, when this might website visited the school, a mid 50 brown woman we found in the office of the Head teacher refused to make any comments giving an excuse of it’s unlawful to comment on the a matter which’s before the courts of law.
THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
The shrouded in mystery surrounding Joanna’s death has left the family with more questions than answers.
Joanna’s death is a painful reminder of the need for transparency, accountability, and justice, especially in cases where those entrusted with the safety of children fail in their duty. Her mother, Nambi Rhodah, is left grieving and wondering, “Why my child?”
WHAT EXPERTS SAY
Joseph Mukasa Ssewava,Director of Mobilization at the State House thinks children die from schools because of three reasons;
• Accidents:-for example the child may be walking on a slippery ground and falls thus landing fastly on the ground thus attaining severe injuries that may cost his or her life
• Bullying and letting children play bad games which may involve stabbing themselves etc.
• School Administration negligence:-for example school owners have tendencies of constructing storage classrooms and don’t include balconys which puts learner’s lives at stake of falling anytime
It’s here that MP Ssewungu Joseph Gonzaga MP Kalungu East MP and a former teacher who asked government to close such schools.

By: Omulangira Ddembe Yonah