Two pupils killed in Hami Junior School dormitory fire

Two pupils have died and three others injured after a fire gutted dormitories at Hami Junior School in Kagoma, Maganjo B Zone, Nabweru Division, Wakiso district.

The fire broke out at about 10:30 pm, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, who identified the deceased as Lamia Namusoke, 8, a Primary One pupil, and Abdu Shakul Bwete, 10, a Primary Three pupil.

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.

Owoyesigyire said the injured pupils were taken to Bethel Medical Centre for first aid, while the bodies of the deceased were conveyed to the City Mortuary at Mulago for postmortem examinations.

Preliminary police findings indicate that the dormitory was partitioned with wood and furnished with double- and triple-decker beds.

The Hami Junior School fire comes about a month after separate fires gutted dormitories at Nakasero Secondary School in Kampala and Baraka Education Centre Primary School in Gombe, Wakiso district. The incidents destroyed property worth millions of shillings but caused no deaths.

Investigations by the Fire and Rescue Services, supported by closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, reportedly established that the two fires had been deliberately started by students. Pupils at Baraka Education Centre allegedly acted out of frustration with boarding school life, while a student at Nakasero Secondary School reportedly wanted to be transferred to another school.

The latest incident adds to a history of deadly school fires in the Kampala metropolitan area. In October 2022, a fire at Salaama School for the Blind in Mukono district killed 11 pupils, while a January 2022 fire at New Crest Junior School in Kibedi, Kawempe, claimed four lives.

Meanwhile, a separate fire gutted part of Ivory Hotel in Nansana West 1B, West Ward, Nansana Division, at about 8:15pm on the same night.

Owoyesigyire said preliminary information indicated that the fire followed intermittent power interruptions. Sparks were reportedly seen at a transformer before flames were noticed on the hotel’s rooftop structure.

Police officers and a Fire and Rescue Services team from Fire Headquarters responded and extinguished the blaze.

The fire damaged the rooftop structure, which housed staff quarters and storerooms, destroying property inside. The extent of the damage had not yet been established.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Myers Byonanebye, who heads Fire Operations in the Kampala metropolitan area, said electrical faults were a major cause of fires in the region.

He urged schools, hotels and members of the public to strengthen fire prevention measures, including having electrical installations inspected by qualified personnel and ensuring that fire extinguishers are available.

“Most of the fires we are experiencing are caused by electricity. We want to appeal to the public that fire incidents are on the increase,” Byonanebye said.

“Just last week, we registered a fire at our own barracks in Wandegeya and another one at a warehouse in Kireka. People need to be more cautious when dealing with fire. If you are using electricity, you should always engage experts to inspect wiring in schools, dormitories and homes,” he added.

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