Mitooma District — Students at Kyeibare Girls Secondary School in Mitooma District are grappling with loss and uncertainty after a fire broke out early Friday morning, completely destroying a girls’ dormitory and property worth millions of shillings.
The blaze, which started around 5:00 a.m., occurred while students were away for morning revision. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, mattresses, bedding, scholastic materials, electronic appliances, and vital academic documents were lost in the inferno.
According to Ms. Olive Nuwasiima, the school’s headteacher, the fire is suspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit following the restoration of electricity after a prolonged outage the previous night.
“We suspect the fire started due to a short circuit when power was restored after the blackout,” said Ms. Nuwasiima. “This tragedy has deeply affected many students, especially candidates. We appeal to parents, alumni, and well-wishers to come to their aid.”
Residents from the surrounding community rushed to help extinguish the flames, but their efforts were hampered by a delayed response from the fire brigade.
Despite the loss, school administrators say that classes have since resumed and the situation is calm. Affected students, however, are still reeling from the shock and loss of essential personal items.
Fausta Natasha, a Senior Four student, shared her distress:
“I was heading for prep when we saw the dormitory on fire. My birth certificate, pass slips, clothes, and school bag were all destroyed. I have nothing left, and this is the exam registration period.”
The Mitooma District Education Officer, Ms. Peace Barungi, who visited the school, described the incident as a significant disruption to the students’ academic journey.
“This is a huge setback for the girls, particularly candidates preparing for national exams,” she said. “I commend the school administration for responding swiftly and thank the community members who helped contain the fire.”
Ms. Barungi called on the government and development partners to provide urgent support to the affected learners.
“We are appealing to all stakeholders to assist these students with scholastic materials, bedding, and counseling services. We must stand with them to ensure they recover in time for their final exams,” she added.
Police have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire. According to SP Tayebwa, the Acting Greater Bushenyi Police Spokesperson, a team from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Mitooma visited the scene and recorded witness statements. While preliminary findings suggest an electrical fault, authorities say a full report will be released once investigations are complete.
Meanwhile, the school community is rallying to restore normalcy and provide support to the affected students as national examination preparations continue.
