Questions Remain After Kameke SS Staff Found Dead in Ocupai Village

What the report says

Pallisa District in eastern Uganda is mourning after James Walwasa, also known as Ekomol, was found dead hanging from a mango tree in Ocupai village, Kameke sub-county, about 100 meters from his home. According to Dokolo Post, Walwasa had worked in the security department at Kameke Secondary School for more than 25 years and was widely known at the school for supporting and advising staff and students.

The report says the first local response came from Ocupai LC1 chairperson William Asabat, who alerted district leaders after hearing of the incident. Police were called to the scene, but investigators said the crowd gathered there made it difficult to use a sniffer dog. Pallisa District Police Commander Patience Namara later led the homicide team and urged residents not to take their own lives when facing hardship.

Police said the scene raised questions because some observations did not appear typical of a hanging death, prompting an order for a postmortem at Pallisa General Hospital. Some relatives initially resisted the process because of cost concerns, though a community leader said transport expenses would be covered. Different accounts also emerged about Walwasa’s final hours, including one suggestion that he had been drinking the previous evening and another claim of a family dispute.

The cause of death remains unconfirmed pending postmortem results. For Kameke SS, the death was a second loss in a short period, adding to concern at the school and in the wider community.