The family of a 10-year-old South Sudanese boy John Bol Garang Diar who drowned in the Bomah Hotel swimming pool in Gulu town last week has called for justice for their deceased son.
Speaking on behalf of the family during a requiem mass at Christ Church parish in Gulu town on Tuesday, Yul Deng asked police to get to the bottom of the circumstances surrounding the death of Garang by establishing whether the death of the 10- year old was an accident or not.
Deng said Garang left home for school health and that the family was shocked to learn he was dead.
He revealed that Garang, a primary one pupil of Credo Daycare Nursery and Primary, an upscale school located in Laroo division in Gulu Municipality, had ambitions of becoming a soldier in his native country, South Sudan.
Garang was found dead at the Bomah hotel swimming pool at around 3pm on the fateful day after a swimming lesson.
The deceased was part of 82 pupils who had been taken to the hotel for their routine swimming in the children’s section of the swimming pool.
Police in Gulu later arrested Simon Peter Rubangakene, a pool attendant at Bomah Hotel over the death of the 10-year-old boy. The suspect was charged with negligence under CRB number 237/2019.
Police are also investigating teachers of the school who took pupils for swimming lesson at the hotel.
Deng’s parents, Zakaria Deng and his wife Elizabeth Ayak fled South Sudanese state of Abye in 2004. Garang was born in Uganda on October 16, 2009.
Reverend Samuel Francis Opiyo, the assistant chaplain of Gulu University who led the requiem mass for Garang also called for justice. The reverent called on teachers to take full responsibility of children under their care since parents entrust them with care of their children.
In his condolence read by Irene Adako, Minister Hillary who is the director of Bomah Hotel Limited asked God to comfort the family of the late Garang. Minister Onek contributed 5 million shilling to the bereaved family.
Margret Amito, the Managing Director of Credo Daycare, Nursery and Primary School said the death of Garang has been a nightmare to the school.
Deng will be buried Tuesday afternoon in a cemetery belonging to St Mary’s Hospital Lacor.
