James Odongo, a catechist at St. Stephen Catholic Church and director of St. Stephen Nursery and Primary School in Ogorai Village, Soroti District, is expected to appear before the Soroti Chief Magistrate’s Court after spending more than a week in police custody over allegations of defiling a 14-year-old Primary Five pupil. Police say investigations have been completed and the case file has been sanctioned by the Resident State Attorney, paving the way for Odongo’s arraignment on defilement charges.
The allegations stem from an incident on the evening of July 7, 2025, when Odongo was allegedly found locked inside his office with the teenager by her father, Robert Ekibu, and members of the community. According to residents, suspicions had been growing for some time after the girl was repeatedly seen entering the catechist’s office in the evening and leaving several hours later. Concerned residents alerted Ekibu, who began monitoring his daughter’s movements.
On the night of the alleged incident, they reportedly observed the girl enter Odongo’s office at about 6:00 p.m. and remain there until around 9:30 p.m., prompting community members to intervene and arrest the suspect before handing him over to police.
Soroti District Police Commander Moses Olang said Odongo has remained in custody to allow investigators to complete inquiries and compile all the necessary evidence before prosecution. “We still have him in custody because we needed to ensure that all the investigations are done,” Olang said.
He added that the case required thorough investigations before it could be presented in court. “We sent the file to the Resident State Attorney for sanctioning, and that process has been completed. We expect him to appear before Soroti Court by Friday,” Olang said. Olang also dismissed claims that police had failed to conduct medical examinations on either the suspect or the alleged victim.
“That is not true. The delay has been to ensure that all medical examinations for both the suspect and the victim are included in the case file to strengthen the prosecution,” he said. The girl’s father, Robert Ekibu, appealed for justice, saying the alleged incident had profoundly affected his daughter.
Ekibu further alleged that Odongo lured the girl by allowing her to use his smartphone to watch comedy videos on TikTok before allegedly taking advantage of her. After the suspect’s arrest by residents, he was initially taken to Odui Police Post before being transferred to Soroti Central Police Station in Katine, where he remains in custody awaiting his first court appearance.
If charged, Odongo will have the allegations formally read to him in court. Under Ugandan law, he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
