Inside Ojok’s Murder at Makerere

Students residing in Nkrumah Hall at Makerere University on Sunday night clobbered to death a former student in what authorities say was a clear case of brutal mob justice.
The deceased identified as David Ojok Otim is said to have been at the hall of residence to demand money for a service rendered to one of the residents.
Ojok completed his studies at the same university 4 years ago where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science.
He was working in Kikoni, a suburb west of the campus where he had a computer workshop and also sold stationery items.
This incident came a few days after Makerere was beginning to regain public credit following their solidarity walk against the Garissa terror attack.
Murder: Makerere University Guild President David Baala condemned the killing, adding authorities are working closely with police to ensure that the perpetrators face justice.
Baala cited “lack of trust and confidence in the criminal justice system by students as the primary cause to actions of mob justice.”
This, he said, isn’t just a trend only at the campus “but the whole country is faced with a failed justice process and corruption.”
However, the leader stressed that Makerere being the acclaimed institution of learning that it is, intellectual thinking should begin there.
Asked whether such a terrible incident wouldn’t go a long way with staining the institution’s name and a big blow to his efforts to revive its glory, he said that “the process of revitalizing Makerere’s glory also has challenges.”
Baala had the leadership to blame which he said is ‘still wanting’ given that the Nkrumah Hall leader was allegedly involved in the mob justice.
“There’s need for sensitization of leaders so as to champion this cause,” he said.
He also lamented about Police’s delay in responding to the Makerere murder, noting that a lot is still desired.
Police
A source from Makerere Police station said there are many accounts of this story going around but the police are investigating the circumstances under which Ojok died.
He said it is alleged that Ojok had gone to Nkrumah Hall to demand Shs 500,000 from an unknown student.
He started knocking on doors searching for the student but residents became suspicious of him which consequently made him mistaken for a thief.
One resident shouted “thief” and students swiftly emerged from their rooms before beating Ojok badly and partly burnt him first in the corridors of the hall before dragging him outside.
The victim had no identification. It was 10pm in the night.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, police was invited when Ojok had lost consciousness.
“We rushed him to Mulago Referral Hospital but died at the facility’s main gate,” said Onyango.
Given the nature of the incident, police couldn’t find any suspects at the scene since all the students who played a part in the beating had vanished.
It is at this point that the police chose to pick someone to help them with their investigation which is why Marvin Mutungi, the hall’s Chairman was put under custody.
“He wasn’t picked because he was a suspect but rather because he is the leader and we thought he would help us,” said a source.

A source at Makerere police post said Mutungi was worried of the media reports about him thus asking for protection from police.
“As police, our mandate is to offer protection to our witnesses,” our source told us.
Police learnt that actually Mutungi initially intervened to stop the mob from beating Ojok.

“The police needs enough time (long as it may be) given how complex this case is but there’s progress and we will find leads,” a detective who preferred anonymity so as to speak freely, told this investigative website.
Members of the public have since condemned the action of Makerere students, saying the institution’s brand is gradually going to the dogs.
But some Makerere alumni said the incident should be seen as an isolated act of mob justice by a few undisciplined students.