Security operatives in Kayunga District have launched investigations into a tragic fire incident at Fatihi Islamic Primary School in Kangulumira Town Council in Uganda, which claimed the lives of four pupils and others severely injured.
Deputy Head Teacher of the school, Abdallah Mubiru confirmed the incident, stating that the dormitory of the learning institution caught fire around 2:30 am on Monday while the pupils were asleep.
“One of the primary six pupils was awakened by the heat. He then raised alarm when he saw it was fire,” Mubiru explained.
The private community school, with over 700 pupils, suffered a huge loss after one of the dormitories belonging to the boys burnt down. The dormitory reportedly housed 30 boys with no adequate supervision by a warden.
Despite the timely intervention of neighbours to put out the fire, school property was significantly destroyed, and many pupils were severely injured after the dormitory roof caved in. Four of the pupils were reported to have succumbed to their injuries.
Ramadhan Simali, the Kayunga District Inspector of Schools who was present at the scene of the fire incident, declared the school’s boarding section illegal and ordered its immediate closure.
“The boarding section should be closed forthwith,” Simali directed on Monday.
The school will remain closed temporarily for a week.
Kayunga RDC, Moses Ddumba criticised the school for inadequate security measures and stated that investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. He also hinted at a possible arson.
“We are investigating the exact cause of the fire. But I want to say schools should be connected to GPS. We have to be scientific and digital to curb such challenges,” he said.
Kangulumira Town Mayor Robert Kigundu urged the school management to fully cooperate with security authorities during the investigation by providing all necessary details.
According to the 2022 Annual Police Report, 40 schools were destroyed by fire, with 17 of them attributed to arson.
The National Building Review Board (NBRB) of Kenya, in collaboration with various stakeholders including the police, officials from the Gender Ministry, Kampala Capital City Authority, and members of the Private Educational Institution Association in Uganda, conducted a one-year investigation in 120 schools – comprising 60 government and 60 private – between May 2022 and May 2023 to probe incidents of school fires, Executive Secretary of NBRB, Ms Flavia G. Bwire had disclosed.