As the security minister General Elly Tumwine told all the students, except candidates sitting their exams, to vacate the premises of St Bernard’s Secondary School Mannya in Kifamba Sub County in Rakai District where a boys’ dormitory accommodated by senior three students caught fire last night, Police have started investigations into the circumstance under which the dormitory was set ablaze last night.
The Rakai District Police Commander, Ben Kashumbusha, the incident happened at around 2am when the boys’ dormitory for mostly S.3 students was set ablaze killing 10 students, some burnt beyond recognition.
He said that investigators suspect that after being expelled from school over indiscipline, about 10 students who were not happy with the decision by the management planned to revenge by collaborating with other people inside the school.
“We have not clearly found out how they accessed the school but we suspect that they coordinated the mission together with colleagues inside the school that on the day of the mission, it was easy for them to access the school,” the senior police officer said.
“On entering, the assailants who were armed with petrol and matchboxes first put padlocks on the dormitory’s door setting it ablaze.”
He added that the police fire brigade had to break the padlock on the door in order to rescue some of the students from the raging fire.
Masaka regional police Commander Latif Zaake confirms that Police have arrested one suspect; name withheld who he also said is a student from the same school.
According to the school register the deceased students are; Remegious Tamale, Antonio Ssekidde, Godfrey Lutaaya, Timothy Bukenya, Emmanuel Kasozi, Charles Ssuuna, Morris Basita and Sharif Dogiye. So far 40 students are currently admitted in the various health centers in critical condition.
Nevertheless, up to 108 senior six candidates are sitting for their final examinations at the same centre. The head teacher, John Baptist Ssemwanga the school head teacher in-charge of academics says the examinations had to be conducted despite the confusion.
Martha Nalukenge, one the senior three students narrates that they saw the fire at the boy’s wing through ventilators. She said they could no longer concentrate, pleading with the administration to let them go home.
In the past, a number of school dormitories have been prone to fire incidents killing a number of students.
In April 2008, a fire caught a girls’ dormitory at Buddo Junior School leaving 20 pupils dead.
There have been more fires at Bishop Ruhindi High School in Rukungiri District,
Bukoyo Secondary School in Iganga District,St Mary’s College in Buikwe District,St John Bosco Primary School –Katende, one pupil was killed,Kawempe Muslim SS, Merryland High School, Kibibi Junior School, Light College Katikamu, Moyo SS and St Leo’s Junior School.
