Prosecution has asked the court for more time to produce exhibits in the 2018 St. Bernard’s SS Mannya school fire that killed 10 students and injured others in Rakai District.
Appearing before Masaka High Court Resident Judge Lady Justice Victoria Nankintu Katamba on Wednesday, state prosecutor Deborah Itawu told court they could not present police exhibits that day and asked for more time.
The request came after the presentation of Goffin Butere, the police officer who investigated the inferno at St. Bernard’s SS Mannya. Court had on Tuesday ordered him to present exhibits which he said were seized from the house where the accused persons were staying.
Butere, who is now serving in Kyotera District and was formerly the Rakai District Investigations Officer, told court he could not retrieve the exhibits as instructed because the police exhibit store was overcrowded.
The exhibits to be presented include a bottle said to contain fuel suspected to have been used in the inferno and shoes belonging to one of the accused, among others.
‘We need to empty the police exhibit store, which is full of many things. If we are to get these exhibits, which we can’t do in a day, we need some time to retrieve those exhibits,’ he said.
Justice Katamba granted the State’s request, giving them until next Monday to produce the exhibits so the State can complete its submission and close its case. She noted that the case has overstayed in court.
Defense lawyer Samuel Ssekyewa accused the prosecution of being unprepared, noting that the case has been in court for nearly eight years while the accused have remained on remand.
He, however, welcomed the acquittal of Henry Taremwa and Dickson Kisuule, leaving Edison Niyo and Alex Mugarura as the only remaining accused persons in jail.
‘Court had dedicated this week to see the State complete its submission this week and close its case, but we were saddened by the police officers’ statements that they could not present the exhibits. This is further delaying the case which has been in court for over six years. We hope by next week they will be able to present the exhibits as they have promised,’ he said.
The hearing was adjourned to August 10, 2026 for the prosecution to present its final witnesses.
Prosecution alleges that on November 11, 2018 at St. Bernard’s SS Mannya in Rakai District, the accused persons – Henry Taremwa, a resident of Mannya Trading Centre, Rakai; Alex Mugarura, a resident of Kihinga Village, Kasaana Sub-county, Sheema District; Dickson Kisuule, a resident of Kifamba Sub-county, Rakai District; and Edison Niyo alias Edie, self-employed, a resident of Mannya Trading Centre, and others still at large – killed Remigious Tamale and nine other students in a school fire.
According to the charge sheet, the accused are facing 49 counts, including 10 counts of murder, 36 counts of attempted murder, and one count of attempted arson.