Soroti High Court Sentences Ariokot to Life Over Murder of Five-year-old Pupil

What the report says

The High Court in Soroti has sentenced Suzan Vivian Ariokot to life imprisonment for the murder of five-year-old Joan Faith Apio, a pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in Soroti City, according to Dokolo Post. The ruling was delivered by Justice Boniface Wamala after a trial over the child’s death, which the prosecution said happened at the school on February 5, 2025.

Dokolo Post reported that two other accused people were also convicted. Former school director Joseph Okedi received a 35-year prison term, while Detective Corporal John Bosco Obotol was sentenced to 45 years. The court acquitted school matron Usula Adongo, school cook Valentine Opio and nursery section head teacher James Edoket, saying the prosecution had not proved their involvement beyond reasonable doubt. All six had denied the murder charges throughout the proceedings.

The case was heard in a special High Court session in Soroti and lasted about two and a half weeks. The report said the proceedings drew strong public attention in Soroti and the wider Teso sub-region, reflecting concern about child safety in schools and the demand for accountability in the death of the young pupil. The judgment brings the criminal case against the six accused to a close, pending any further legal steps that may follow under Uganda’s court process.