SAD! Two Pupils Killed in School Fire in Wakiso

Two pupils have died after a fire swept through a dormitory at Hami Junior School in Maganjo, Wakiso District, late Monday night, renewing concerns about the safety of children in Uganda’s boarding schools.

The victims were identified as Rania Namusoke, a Primary One pupil, and Abdulshakur Bwete, a Primary Three pupil. Three other pupils were injured in the October 19 fire and taken to Bethel Medical Centre for treatment.

The fire broke out at about 10:30 p.m., when the children were asleep. Teachers, residents and police officers joined efforts to evacuate pupils from the burning dormitory, but the two children could not be saved.

Residents and teachers joined

police officers in rescue operations in the night.

The injured pupils were identified as Yusuf Miyingo Alcham, 13, a Primary Seven pupil; Hamidu Muyimba, 9, a Primary Three pupil; and Hasadu Kazibwe, 7, a Primary One pupil.

It would take several hours to finally put out the fire, with teams working from 11pm through 3am.

By Tuesday morning, police had cordoned off the school as investigators began examining the scene to establish the cause of the fire and determine whether any safety failures contributed to the deaths.

The cause had not been officially established. Some residents suspected that frequent electricity fluctuations in the area might have played a role, but that possibility had not been confirmed by investigators.

The affected dormitory had wooden partitions and contained double- and triple-decker beds.

The tragedy adds to a long history of deadly school fires in Uganda, where previous incidents have raised questions about dormitory construction, fire prevention, emergency exits and the enforcement of school safety regulations.

Budo fire remains a painful reminder

One of the country’s deadliest school fires occurred on April 14, 2008, when flames engulfed the Nassolo dormitory at Budo Junior School in Wakiso District, killing 20 Primary Four girls.

The fire broke out at night as the pupils slept. Nineteen children died at the scene, while another died later at Mulago Hospital.

Another devastating incident occurred on October 25, 2022, when a fire swept through a dormitory at Salama School for the Blind in Luga, Mukono District, killing 11 children.

The tragedy raised particular concerns about emergency preparedness in institutions serving children with disabilities. Pupils with visual impairments may require additional assistance to navigate unfamiliar spaces, especially when smoke and confusion make it difficult to locate exits.

The incident came amid a series of school fires that had prompted police to investigate whether some blazes were deliberately started.

A police report covering 40 school fire incidents recorded between January 5 and June 27, 2022, found that 17 were suspected to have been deliberately started. Four were attributed to negligence, another four were classified as accidental, while the causes of the remaining 15 had not been established.

Those incidents had resulted in seven deaths before the Salama School for the Blind fire occurred.

Police identified possible causes of school fires that included suspected arson, unsafe electrical installations, unattended electrical appliances and careless handling of cooking materials.

The findings also raised concerns about school administrations that failed to comply with minimum safety standards established by the Ministry of Education and Sports.

In response to the wider problem, the government issued guidelines intended to strengthen school safety. The measures included installing appropriate firefighting equipment, ensuring that dormitories had adequate emergency exits, improving security and preparing evacuation plans.

Schools were also advised to provide fire extinguishers and other suitable firefighting equipment, emergency lighting and alternative power sources.

The guidelines were intended to reduce the risk of fires and improve the chances of pupils escaping safely when emergencies occurred.

Yet deadly incidents have continued to expose the challenges of translating safety requirements into practice.

A recurring danger in boarding schools

Uganda has experienced several other deadly school fires in recent years.

In January 2022, four children died in a dormitory fire at New Crest Junior at Kibedi Day and Boarding Primary School in Kawempe Division, Kampala.

The following month, a 12-year-old pupil died in a fire at Good Times Primary School in Kawaala, Kampala.

In March 2022, a 14-year-old pupil died when fire gutted a dormitory at St Joseph Senior Secondary School in Nakanyonyi, Jinja District.

Other school fires have been reported across the country.

The incidents have repeatedly drawn attention to the risks associated with overcrowded dormitories, inadequate fire safety equipment, unsafe electrical installations and poor emergency preparedness.

Fires that break out at night are particularly dangerous because pupils may be asleep when the flames begin spreading. Smoke can quickly disorient children, while closely arranged beds, wooden partitions and other combustible materials may complicate evacuation.

The time available to escape can be short, making early detection, accessible exits and the presence of adults capable of directing children to safety critical.

The circumstances surrounding the Hami Junior School fire remain under investigation. Although residents suspect that electricity fluctuations may have contributed to the blaze, investigators have not confirmed the cause.

The inquiry will need to establish how the fire started and whether the school had adequate prevention measures and emergency arrangements in place.

Questions over enforcement of safety standards

The latest deaths renew questions about the implementation of school safety requirements and the responsibility of school administrators and government agencies to protect children in boarding facilities.

The Ministry of Education and Sports has previously issued guidelines on fire prevention and emergency preparedness. Their effectiveness depends on regular inspections, compliance by school managers and timely action when institutions fail to meet required standards.

The fires at Budo Junior School and Salama School for the Blind demonstrated the devastating consequences of inadequate protection when children are trapped in burning dormitories. The Hami Junior School tragedy now adds two more names to the list of pupils killed in school fires.

Rania Namusoke and Abdulshakur Bwete were among the youngest learners at Hami Junior School. Their deaths have left two families grieving as investigators work to establish what happened during the night.

The bodies were taken to the City Mortuary at Mulago for post-mortem examinations.

For the families, the immediate question is how their children died. For school administrators and education authorities, the tragedy raises a broader question: whether enough is being done to ensure that a fire does not turn a place of learning and shelter into a death trap.