I burnt two dormitories last month, says boy, 13

Jinja

Police in Jinja are holding a 13-year-old Primary Six pupil after he confessed to burning two dormitories and destroying property worth millions of shillings at Bugembe Islamic Institute in Jinja last month.

The pupil was arrested on Thursday after he confessed to one of his class teachers, Mr Sheikh Ibrahim Osama, that he was the one responsible for the fires. The boy was taken to Jinja Central Police Station where he is being kept, pending further investigations.

The first fire broke out on February 4 and destroyed a storeyed building and property that included 45 mattresses, 45 suitcases, clothes, books and Korans, all valued at millions of shillings.

The second fire broke out on February 18 at another dormitory, but was put out before it could spread. The officer in-charge of criminal investigations, Mr Paddy Bogere, said even while in police custody, the pupil has maintained that he was responsible for the two fires.

Reason
He is said to have told the police that he caused the fires to protest against his parents’ decision to transfer him to a school in Jinja while his siblings remained in Kampala schools. “He says he wants to be returned to his former school in Namungoona,” Mr Bogere said.

The head teacher, Mr Abdallah Isabirye, said the pupil, who handed over the match box that he has been using to set off the fires, said he always waited until his fellow pupils were out for prayers before he would start the fire because he did not intend to harm any of them.

Mr Isabirye regretted the incident, saying ongoing rehabilitation of the burnt buildings is to cost more than Shs8 million.

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