Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council Unveils Monument to Honour Victims of ADF Attack

Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council has unveiled a monument in remembrance of victims of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School.

The monument was unveiled on Friday ( 21st August 2026) at the Mayor’s premises in Nyabungando in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council during a commemoration event held to honour victims of terrorism. Parents of the students who were killed, survivors and other members of the community gathered to pay tribute to those who lost their lives. The programme was supported by the European Union.

The ADF attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School took place on 16 June 2023, when suspected ADF rebels attacked the school, killing and injuring students while abducting others. Some of those abducted remain missing.

According to the chairperson representing parents whose children were affected by the attack, 43 students were killed, 11 survived, while 11 others remain missing.

The Mayor of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council, Rogers Mutahunga, described the commemoration as a significant and blessed day for the community to remember the victims and stand with families who lost their loved ones.

He said the community must continue praying and working together to ensure that such an attack never happens again. Mayor Mutahunga also warned individuals involved in terrorism and other criminal activities that the law would take its course.

Meanwhile, Ms. Nurf Zulaika, the project manager, said her organisation is working with several districts, including Kasese, to promote awareness and support victims of terrorism.

She commended the Government of Uganda and security leaders at both national and local levels for their efforts in promoting peace and security in the country and beyond Uganda’s borders.

Ms. Zulaika called upon stakeholders and religious leaders to play their part in promoting vigilance, peace and security within communities

Assistant Inspector of Police Kasango also narrated the events surrounding the attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School.

He explained that security personnel were deployed after receiving information about the attack. However, upon arriving at Nyabugando Baptist Secondary School, they were informed that it was not the school that had been attacked and were directed to Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School.

When they arrived, police found parts of the school on fire, with some students having been killed while others had been abducted. Some students survived, including a boy who managed to escape through a window.

Kasango said the fire brigade was called from Kasese, while the bodies of the deceased students were taken to Bwera Hospital mortuary. Security investigations established that the attack had been carried out by ADF fighters operating from the Democratic Republic of Congo

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or unfamiliar individuals to security authorities before they could carry out criminal activities.

He further noted that some Ugandans had been involved in supporting terrorist activities and called upon communities to work closely with security agencies to prevent terrorism.

The commemoration attracted religious leaders, cultural leaders, civil servants, parents, survivors and members of the media, who gathered to honour the victims and reaffirm their commitment to peace and security.

The unveiling of the monument is expected to serve as a lasting reminder of the lives lost and the need for communities to continue standing together against terrorism and violence.

ENDS 

Story by Kenneth Muzigit