Family demands justice for student assaulted by chief

The Form Two student was taken to the chief’s office where he was tied with a rope before being beaten for skipping school. [Ignatius Odanga, Standard]

The family of a student allegedly assaulted by an Assistant Chief of Esikulu Sub location in Matayos constituency is appealing for justice for their kin.

According to the victim’s sister, Irine Mubweka, the administrator Steven Osige came at their home in Msafiri village on Monday with some youth and arrested their brother.

He was taken to the chief’s office where he was tied with a rope before Osige started beating him with a club because he had not gone to school.

Ms Mubweka yesterday called for arrest of Osige for his cruel act. “Even if my brother had not gone to school how that concerns the chief I do not know. I wish he would have asked reasons that had led him not to report to school on that day,” said Ms Mubweka.

The victim Richard Mubweka who is a form two student at Budokomi secondary in Matayos constituency observed yesterday that he had been asked by teachers to go back home and buy pair of socks.

“The socks had been bought and so it was hard for me to go back to school without them but the assistant chief could not listen to my explanations,” the victim said.

Adding that, “He asked one of the youths he had hired to buy a rope which they used to tie my legs before he started beating me senselessly.”

The matter has since been reported to Busia Police Station and booked in Occurrence Book as OB32/26/07/2018. “For justice to prevail the chief should be arrested unless the law allows him to assault people like he did to my brother,” observed Mubweka.

The father to the victim Ernet Mubweka and the assistant chief have engaged in blame game. Mr Mubweka said he asked Osige to advice his son to go to school and stop walking with bad company instead the administrator went on to assault his son leaving him with injuries on his body.

“I sought for the intervention of assistant chief to counsel my son to stop walking with bad company and concentrate on studies but he decided to assault him,” said Mr Mubweka.

The chief defended himself saying, “I told the parents to take their son to police in Busia but they refused and asked me to discipline him.”

“I have no any other option, I will foot the bill of medication because I did not beat the boy intentionally but under influence of his parents who were present when I was disciplining their son,” he added.

This is the second incident of an administrator assaulting a person. Recently Busia Township Chief Charles Oundo assaulted a woman in Mabale, Matayos constituency over boundary dispute. He was arraigned in court and released on bond. He is still in office.