Relatives of Sunday Julius, 45, the headteacher of Gihuranda Primary School in Rukundo Town Council, Kisoro District, are living in fear following his mysterious disappearance in December 2025.
Rwerekana Erasmus, 82, a resident of Bitare Village, Nyarutembe Parish, Nyabwishenya Sub-county in Kisoro District, and father to the missing headteacher, said he last saw his son in December 2025 when he visited home, as was his usual practice during weekends.
He said that he first heard rumours from family members that his son had disappeared, but he kept couldn’t believe that his son could just vanish without a trace.
According to Rwerekana, his first son Sunday Julius has no grudge with anyone in the area
Rwerekana said that since his son’s disappearance, he has been struggling both financially and emotionally, especially given his old age and poor health. He said that Sunday Julius used to visit him every weekend and provide financial support. He adds that as the firstborn, he would also coordinate other family members to take his him for medical treatment, sometimes as far as Kampala
Nelson Tumwesigye, a teacher at Muko Primary School in Nyabwishenya Sub-county and younger brother of the missing headteacher, said the family reported the disappearance at Kisoro Central Police Station but has not received any meaningful updates
The wife of the missing headteacher, Molly Tumuherwe, who teaches at Gitovu Primary School in Mupaka Town Council, said her husband received an abrupt transfer to Gihuranda Primary School and had been working there until his disappearance.
She noted that since her husband is a civil servant, he was entrusted to the government. She appealed to the Office of the Kisoro Chief Administrative Officer and the District Education Officer to support the family in tracing him
However, a member of the Gihuranda Primary School management committee, who preferred anonymity, alleged that Sunday Julius disappeared with school capitation grant funds and other money collected from parents for school development, totalling over 8 million shillings.
The Kisoro District Chief Administrative Officer, John Nyakahuma, said the district considers Sunday Julius to have abandoned his duty. He revealed that the headteacher’s name has been submitted to the Rewards and Sanctions Committee for appropriate action. In the meantime, the district has posted another headteacher, Bigira Godfrey, to manage Gihuranda Primary School and has stopped the missing headteacher’s salary
Meanwhile, Kirundo Sub-county LCV Councillor Bishubeho Louis has threatened to sue the Gihuranda Primary School management committee and the CAO’s office for what he described as failure to put enough effort into tracing the missing headteacher.
He argued that since Sunday Julius is a public servant and a prominent figure, the Kisoro District Local Government should treat the matter with greater urgency.
In response, CAO John Nyakahuma advised the relatives not to take the matter lightly and urged them to continue following up with the police. He clarified that his office’s role is to handle the administrative aspect of duty abandonment and ensure that learning at the school is not disrupted.
Kisoro District Police Commander (DPC), SP Edatu Cosmas, confirmed that the case of the missing headteacher was reported at Kisoro Police Station under SD Ref: 20/11/12/2025. He said police are still actively searching for Sunday Julius and appealed to members of the public who may have information about his whereabouts to report to the nearest police station
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