School director arrested over locking up cook in store for 4 months

By THE OBSERVER UG

Yoweri Kasozi allegedly admitted to confining his cook in a store for over 3 months

Yoweri Kasozi, director of Mentor High School has been arrested by police in Kajjansi for allegedly detaining the school cook, Daniel Euriana, for over 100 days in a store.

Kasozi, who is also the proprietor of Tooto Wetu Education Programme Children and Youth Centre located at KKB Cell, Bweya Ward, Kajjansi town council, accuses Euriana of stealing five drums and four iron sheets on December 2, 2023.

In his statement at Kajjansi police station, Kasozi said he was punishing Euriana because he did wrong to steal from a person who employed him.

“I promoted Euriana from being a school guard to a cook. He was in charge of the store when we found five drums and four iron sheets missing. I suspect he was responsible,” said Kasozi.

Instead of taking Euriana to the police, Kasozi decided to confine him in the store from December 2, 2023, to March 13, 2024, when he was rescued by the Kajjansi division police commander (DPC) who raided the premises with other police officers upon receiving an alert from one of the locals.

“On the 13th of March 2024, the DPC Kajjansi received information from a whistleblower regarding this unlawful confinement. A raid was conducted, leading to the rescue of Daniel. His statement has been recorded, confirming that he had been unlawfully detained by his employer for approximately four months,” said ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson.

Aged 21, Euriana said his plea for innocence fell on deaf ears. He said he was tortured and has been gradually wasting away because of injuries inflicted on him by Kasozi.

“I cried for help but no one came to my rescue. I was beaten and I was denied the chance to communicate with my relatives,” Euriana told police officers.

Police have warned people against turning their homes or workplaces into confinement centres but always seek police intervention whenever they suspect that someone has committed an offence. Kasozi, according to ASP Owoyesigyire, has been slapped with charges of unlawful confinement.