The High Court in Soroti has found three members of one family guilty of murdering five-year-old Joan Faith Apio, a Primary One pupil at Jozan Nursery and Primary School in Soroti City.
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 delivered the judgment on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after considering evidence presented during the trial, including witness testimony, forensic evidence and postmortem findings.
The court found that the three shared a common intention to commit the murder.
Justice Wamala further found that Okedi procured the weapon used in the killing and later participated in efforts to conceal the offence.
Apio was killed on February 5, 2025, at Jozan Nursery and Primary School.
Her body was subsequently discovered in a toilet at the school, leading to a major investigation and public concern across Soroti and the wider Teso sub-region.
The prosecution’s case included evidence from two juveniles who had initially been charged in connection with the murder.
The juveniles later pleaded guilty and were pardoned by the court after the judge found that they had been drawn into the offence by adults.
After their release, they became prosecution witnesses and gave evidence against the adult suspects.
One of the juvenile witnesses told court that Ariokot instructed her to bring Apio to the toilet. The witness later discovered the young pupil with a serious injury.
Evidence concerning Obotol’s movements and presence near the school was also considered by the court.
The prosecution further presented medical and forensic evidence concerning the child’s death, which the judge considered alongside the witness accounts before reaching the verdict.
However, the court acquitted three other people who had faced the murder charge.
Former school head teacher James Edoket, school matron Osula Adongo and school cook Valentine Opio were cleared after the judge found that the prosecution had failed to establish their participation in the murder to the required standard.
The case had been marked by a series of disputes over evidence.
Ariokot denied being at the school at the time of the killing and sought CCTV footage from Pride Bank, saying it could support her claim that she was processing a Shs50 million loan at the time.
The defence also sought CCTV footage from Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, but the availability of the recordings became a contested issue during the proceedings.
The murder attracted strong public reaction in Soroti.
In March 2025, residents reportedly set parts of Jozan Nursery and Primary School on fire while protesting delays in the trial.
The conviction of Ariokot, Okedi and Obotol now represents a major turning point in the case, which has been before the High Court for more than a year.
The three convicted persons were expected to appear before Justice Wamala later on Thursday for sentencing.
The court’s decision leaves Apio’s family and the wider community awaiting the next stage of the proceedings as the convicted persons face sentencing for the murder of the young pupil.
