Written By | Peter Luzinda
Those convicted are school directors Suzan Vivian Ariokot and her husband, Joseph Okedi, as well as Okedi’s younger brother, Police Detective Corporal John Bosco Obotol.
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SOROTI, Uganda
The High Court in Soroti has convicted three members of the same family over the murder of five-year-old Joan Faith Apio, a Primary One pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School.
Those convicted are school directors Suzan Vivian Ariokot and her husband, Joseph Okedi, as well as Okedi’s younger brother, Police Detective Corporal John Bosco Obotol.
Justice Boniface Wamala ruled that the three acted with a common intention to murder Apio, whose body was discovered in a school latrine on February 5, 2025.
The court found that Okedi procured the weapon used in the killing and was later involved in efforts to conceal the crime. Evidence presented during the trial included witness testimony, forensic evidence and postmortem findings.
A key part of the prosecution's case came from two juvenile witnesses who had initially been accused in connection with the murder. The juveniles later pleaded guilty, were pardoned by the court and became prosecution witnesses.
One of the juvenile witnesses told the court that Ariokot instructed her to take Apio to the toilet, where she later found the child seriously injured.
The court also considered evidence concerning Obotol’s presence near the school at the time of the incident. Justice Wamala said the prosecution evidence connected the three accused persons to the murder.
Apio’s death caused widespread concern in Soroti, particularly because the killing occurred at a school where she was expected to be under the care and protection of adults.
Suzan Vivian Ariokot was sentenced to life
Three others acquitted
However, the court found insufficient evidence to convict three other people who had been charged in the same case.
Former school headteacher James Edoket, school matron Osula Adongo and school cook Valentine Opio were acquitted after the judge found that the prosecution had failed to prove their involvement to the required standard.
The trial had been closely followed across the Teso sub-region and involved disputes over evidence, including attempts by the defence to obtain CCTV recordings that could support Ariokot’s claim that she was elsewhere when the murder occurred.
The defence sought footage from Pride Bank, where Ariokot said she had gone to process a Shs50 million loan. CCTV footage from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital was also sought, but difficulties surrounding the availability and storage of the recordings affected the defence's efforts.
The prosecution, meanwhile, relied on witness testimony alongside forensic and medical evidence to build its case.
School fire during protests
The case had earlier generated public anger over delays in the judicial process. In March 2025, residents reportedly set parts of Jozan Nursery and Primary School on fire during protests over the handling of the murder case. With Thursday’s judgment, the court has determined the criminal responsibility of the adults who faced charges in connection with Apio’s death, with three convicted and three acquitted. The status of the remaining accused was handled separately.
The three convicted persons were expected to return before Justice Wamala later Thursday for sentencing.
The case remains one of the most closely watched murder trials in the Teso sub-region, with the convictions marking a significant development in the search for justice for Apio and her family.
