Family demands answers over student’s death in university swimming pool

Parents and relatives of Hayaan Kakooza, a student at Standard High School Ndejje in Luwero District, are demanding answers following his mysterious death after he was found in a swimming pool at nearby Ndejje University.

Kakooza, the son of Zula Kusiima of Kijura North in Central Division, Masindi Municipality, had just joined Standard High School Ndejje earlier this year for his A-Level studies.

He was pursuing Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and ICT (BCM/ICT) after completing his O-Level education at St. Damian Secondary School in Masindi. He was buried on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

According to the school, Kakooza went missing on Monday, April 6, 2026 (Easter Monday), at around 6:00 PM. His absence was discovered during evening roll call by the school warden. However, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unclear, with the family questioning how a boarding student could leave the school unnoticed.

Kakooza's mother, Zula Kusiima, says she was informed of her son's disappearance the following day, Tuesday, April 7, while she was in class teaching.

"I received a call from a school warden asking when my son was returning from Easter holidays. I was shocked because my son had not come home. We are Muslims, and he had no reason to leave school for Easter," she said.

Kusiima said after receiving a disturbing call, she immediately sought permission from her headteacher and traveled to Luwero, and upon arrival, she says she was made to wait for hours and was not given clear information about her son's whereabouts.

"They told me he was missing and that the matter had been reported to police, but they could not provide a police reference number," she explained.

The family was later informed by police that the body of Kakooza had been retrieved from a swimming pool at Ndejje University.

"They (police) asked if I was strong enough to see the body. When I looked, it was my son. I could not believe it," she said.

A postmortem conducted at Kampala City Mortuary on April 8, 2026, confirmed that Kakooza died as a result of drowning. Despite the postmortem findings, the family is raising serious concerns about how Kakooza ended up in the university swimming pool.

The two institutions are separate, and the distance between the school and Ndejje University has left the family questioning how he managed to leave the school premises without detection.

"I want to know how my son left the school. Who saw him leave? Who was with him? How did he reach the university and end up in the swimming pool?" Kusiima asked.

She insists that her son did not like swimming pools or crowded recreational places, making the circumstances of his death even more puzzling.

Family members say Kakooza appeared normal in his last conversations. His maternal aunt, Jessica Ajuna, revealed that she spoke to him on the evening of Easter Monday.

"He told me he had remained at school during Easter. We joked about food, and I even promised to send him money the next day. In the morning, I was told he was dead," she said.

Kakooza's grandmother, Zainabu Namusoke, described him as a disciplined and respectful boy and questioned why he would leave school without permission.

"As a family, we entrusted the school with our child. How does he disappear and end up dead in a swimming pool?" she asked.

The family is now demanding a thorough investigation into:

How did Kakooza leave the school premises unnoticed? Was there any supervision failure? How does he access the university swimming pool?

The headteacher of Standard High School Ndejje, Patrick Mukisa, confirmed that the student was reported missing during roll call and that the matter was reported to Ndejje Police Station.

He said the school was later informed that a body recovered from a swimming pool at Ndejje University had been identified as their student.

Mukisa added that the school has since strengthened its security measures to prevent similar incidents.

Uganda Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma confirmed the incident but did not provide further details, citing ongoing engagements.