Lifeguard Arrested After Seeta High School Student Drowns in Swimming Pool

Police in Mukono District have arrested a suspect in connection with the suspected drowning of a Senior Six student at Seeta High School, Mbalala campus. The incident, which occurred on Sunday evening, August 3, has shocked the school community and raised questions about supervision and student safety.

The deceased, identified as Kevin Nsamba, 21, reportedly took part in a friendly football match with fellow students before he and a group ran to the school swimming pool. According to reports, the students later participated in a movie night as part of the weekend entertainment schedule organised by the school.

Deputy Police Spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Region, Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed on Tuesday that police are treating the incident as a case of suspected drowning. He revealed that a lifeguard assigned to supervise the swimming pool has been arrested and is currently in police custody. “We are investigating an incident of suspected drowning. So far, we have the lifeguard in our custody, and we are yet to record his statement to determine what his role was at the pool and how the student was found dead without his knowledge,” said Owoyesigyire.

According to police, CCTV footage from the area shows the lifeguard monitoring other students at the time when Nsamba jumped into the pool. The footage is still being reviewed, and police await the results of a postmortem report being conducted at Mulago City Mortuary.

Nsamba’s body was discovered in the school swimming pool on the morning of Monday, August 4, following a search mounted by school security and later reinforced by police. The discovery was made after a roll call revealed he was missing.

School Principal Davis Kafumbe, in a statement issued Tuesday, expressed deep regret over the incident and described it as an unauthorised activity that occurred outside the school’s regulated swimming hours. “The incident occurred when some of the Senior Six students, returning from an exciting football match, decided to run to and dive into the school swimming pool — unauthorised and outside the known swimming regulations of the school,” Kafumbe said.

The school only learned of the incident after Nsamba failed to appear during roll call. A search was immediately launched in coordination with the student’s parents and law enforcement authorities. “The body was recovered by police and taken to the City Mortuary. The school sadly regrets this unfortunate event and greatly commiserates with the parents, the family, and the entire school community,” Kafumbe added.

Police have since closed the swimming pool as investigations continue into possible negligence, procedural violations, or criminal responsibility in the death.

The tragedy has sparked a wider conversation around student supervision, safety protocols in school facilities, and the responsibilities of staff during extracurricular activities

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