Police preliminary findings have pointed at electricity as a possible cause of the fire outbreak that gutted two school dormitories at Bilal Islamic Primary and Secondary School located in Bwaise Kawempe Division last night.
The fire that razed dormitories of senior one and two male students that started at around 9:00pm destroyed the learners’ property including books and beddings, although nobody was hurt or injured in the incident.
Earlier this morning, parents stormed the school to check on their children and check whether they were safe, and the school subsequently allowed parents to take their children back home as the school has temporarily closed.
Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire has told Journalists that the clues investigators have so far gathered from the scene indicate that electricity sparks occurred before the fire outbreak in the dormitories.
“Two boys’ dormitories were destroyed, but currently the information from the ground we have indicates that the fire was caused by electricity sparks, though this is yet to be confirmed,” Oweyesigire said. “Our teams from CID and fire rescue services are still combing the scene>”
However, the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, who was earlier among the leaders that visited the school, expressed the discontent with security investigations which never concluded the past fires.
Lukwago said that the recent fires that have been reported in schools within Kampala are orchestrated and nothing accidental.
The Director of Education and Social Services at KCCA, Juliet Namuddu says that as security conducts investigations, KCCA shall also engage experts to find out.
Owoyesigyire explains that the Police directorate of fire prevention and rescue services is compiling a report that will be presented to the public on the root cause of the increased fires in schools especially within Kampala Metropolitan areas and how these can be prevented.
The school has temporarily closed for a week and parents advised to come pick their children in both primary and secondary sections. According to a statement issued by the School Headteacher Bruhane Tekaane, the school shall resume operations next week on Monday 7th March.
This is a third fire outbreak gutting school dormitories within Kampala district in a space of two months since schools resumed in January this year.
At least five pupils died in the two fire outbreaks at New Crest Junior at Kibedi Day and Boarding Primary School and in Kawempe Division, and last week’s fire at Good Times Infant Primary School Kawala in Rubaga Division, Kampala district.
