King’s College Budo is under fire following a wave of allegations over its handling of a disciplinary incident involving Senior Four students.
The controversy, which has sparked widespread concern among parents, educators, and the general public, centres on events that unfolded on Saturday, 11 October, during the school’s traditional “morning trot”—a long-standing ritual held for candidates ahead of national examinations.
The Morning Trot and Its Fallout
According to sources, over 200 Senior Four students participated in the early-morning run. However, the school administration later alleged that the event descended into chaos, resulting in property damage and injuries. One student, reportedly the child of a senior UPDF officer, is said to have sustained an arm injury.
Eyewitnesses and students, however, claim the injury was accidental—the student allegedly slipped and fell while running from the dormitory.
Despite the circumstances, Head Teacher Canon John Fred Kazibwe reportedly referred to the involved students as “criminals” during a meeting with parents a remark several attendees described as disrespectful and unbecoming of a school leader. Some parents also noted that he began his address without so much as greeting them.
Parents Denied a Fair Hearing
Deputy Head Teacher Godfrey Kasamba has also come under scrutiny for his handling of the situation. Parents who were summoned to the school on Saturday to discuss the matter allege they were denied an opportunity to speak or defend their children.
One parent described the experience as “humiliating,” saying, “Parents were treated like trash and made to feel responsible for the incident.”
Additionally, concerns have been raised over the administration’s failure to prevent the incident in the first place.
“The school was aware of a student meeting the night before. Why weren’t any measures taken to strengthen supervision or deploy security?” one source asked.
“Where were the house wardens and security team when over 100 students moved across dormitories waking their peers?”
Selective Use of CCTV Footage
The disciplinary decisions were reportedly based on selectively reviewed CCTV footage. Some staff members claim the footage did not capture the full sequence of events, and that written statements submitted by students were ignored, even though they identified the actual ringleaders—many of whom were not punished.
The footage reportedly showed no evidence of physical violence, contradicting initial claims that a student had been beaten. More troubling are allegations that parts of the footage may have been erased to protect certain individuals.
In one instance, footage shared with parents allegedly showed windows that were broken by a Senior Three student before the incident occurred. That student was later expelled, raising questions about the consistency and fairness of the disciplinary measures.
Accusations of Favouritism and Class Bias
Parents have accused the administration of bias, claiming that students whose parents are contributing to an upcoming chapel fundraiser were spared punishment. Meanwhile, students from less privileged backgrounds were suspended and denied access to their study materials which they had not exited with on the day of the incident.
The affected students were only allowed to retrieve their books on Tuesday, 14 October, after the Physics paper had already been administered.
“Where does this leave these boys who had no chance to revise like other candidates?” one distraught parent asked.
“The school seems determined to ruin their future at the most critical time.”
Alleged Secret Deals and ‘Blindfolding’
Further allegations suggest that some parents of the implicated students began privately lobbying school administrators to have their children exonerated. These students were reportedly advised to quietly leave the school to avoid raising questions about why certain ringleaders were forgiven.
“This was done with a high level of blindfold,” one source said, “because the administration feared fellow students and parents would ask why some were spared while others were punished.”
Calls for Transparency and Reform
Many parents and observers argue that the incident did not warrant such drastic disciplinary action, especially since nearly half the class was reportedly involved. Most of the suspended students are said to have maintained clean records throughout their four years at Budo.
“These are children who had Budo as their first choice on their JAB forms,” one parent said.
“What message are we sending when they are sacrificed while the real ringleaders walk free simply because they didn’t appear on CCTV?”
Several staff members have allegedly admitted in private that the situation was mishandled, calling it rushed, discriminatory, and demoralising for both students and parents.
Education activists are now calling on the Church of Uganda and the Ministry of Education and Sports to launch an independent investigation. They argue that the incident reflects a broader erosion of fairness, equality, and the moral values upon which church-founded schools were built.
“The Church of Uganda has a responsibility to ensure that justice not class or money determines discipline,” one education analyst commented.
“If these allegations are true, urgent reforms are needed to restore public confidence in the integrity of such institutions.”
Efforts to reach the head teacher were unsuccessful. As of press time, he had neither responded to our calls nor issued any communication. King’s College Budo had also not released an official statement addressing the allegations.
