By Hanning Mbabazi
Kampala: Students of Namirembe Hillside High School in Kitetika, Gayaza, have been left in tears after a fire burnt a boys’ dormitory, destroying property worth millions of shillings.
Police are still investigating the cause of the fire which started at around 10am on Thursday 25 July 2019.
“At around 10am, we received distress phone calls from the school director and the area LCI chairman reporting a fire outbreak at Namirembe Hillside High School in Kitetika, Gayaza. Our fire brigade responded quickly and was able to contain the fire from spreading to other blocks. The most affected parts is the second and third floors of the boy’s dormitory,” Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson Mr Patrick Onyango told this reporter.
According to Mr Onyango, no casualties were recorded.
“By the time of the fire, all students were in class. We are yet to establish the exact extent of the damage. As we speak, the situation is calm and the students have been addressed and counselled,” Mr Onyango added
In the past few years, there has been a number of incidents involving fire gutting schools around the country.
In April 2008, fire that gutted a girls’ dormitory at Buddo Junior School leaving 20 pupils dead.
In November 2018, 10 students died after a fire broke out at a boys’ dormitory housing at least 50 senior three students at St Bernard Secondary School, Manya in Rakai District at night.
On June 2, 2018, fire gutted a dormitory at Bishop Ddungu Primary School in Lwengo District and pupils’ property worth millions was destroyed to ashes.
In March, the same year, fire gutted a dormitory at Greenhill Primary School in Kifuuta village, Kitanda Sub-County in Bukomansimbi District, destroying pupils’ property also worth millions.
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 and St John Bosco Primary School –Katende.
Cases of fire outbreaks have also in the past few years been reported at Kawempe Muslim SS, Merryland High School, Kibibi Junior School, Light College Katikamu, Moyo SS and St Leo’s Junior School.
