Kyambogo University is in mourning after Okia Aaron, a third year Bachelor of Business Administration student, Registration Number 24/U/BKE/10979/PE, was found dead days after he was reported missing, with his body reportedly bearing visible signs of assault.
Aaron had been reported missing earlier in the week, with a “Missing Person” appeal circulating widely among students and on social media from Monday, describing him as last seen that day and appealing to the public for any information that could help locate him. Family and friends behind the appeal had described themselves as “deeply concerned for his safety” and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Days into the search, his body was recovered lifeless, with clear signs that he had been beaten and assaulted before his death.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Okia Aaron… May his soul rest in eternal peace,” read a statement shared by those close to him.
The circumstances surrounding Aaron’s death have shocked the university community and beyond, with many now calling on the Uganda Police Force to open a full investigation into what happened to him in the days he was missing.
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There is growing demand for police to work jointly with Kyambogo University to establish exactly how and why he died, and to hold whoever is responsible accountable.
The case has also reignited a wider public conversation about citizen safety, with many Ugandans on social media pointing to it as evidence that state security attention needs to be redirected toward protecting ordinary citizens from violent crime, rather than being seen to prioritise other concerns.