Fire guts Mbarara school dormitory

A boys’ dormitory at Mbarara Secondary School was early morning June 17 gutted by fire that destroyed property worth millions of shillings. 

Nyerere Dormitory that houses senior one and two students caught fire while learners were in electoral activities the school compound, according to students. 

“We were in the campaigns to elect new leaders for the school at about 9:45am when we heard our neighbors shouting and running into the school saying there is smoke coming out of one of our dormitories,” a student told this publication. 

The school's deputy headmistress Ms Monica Ashaba said "this was very unfortunate since the school activities were going on normally."

“The students were taught from 8am up to 9:30am and that is when we started the campaigns. When the fire started, we did what we could after being alerted by neighbors as police fire brigade came to our rescue,” she noted.

One of the neighbors of the school, Mr Robert Mugabe, who was among the first people to see the dormitory fire said they tried to act immediately to contain the fire to avoid extreme damage.

“We turned on our generator and started pumping water to the burning dormitory but all in vain,” said Mr Mugabe said.

According to the Mbarara regional police, no injuries were recorded. 

“The dormitory houses about 78 students and fortunately by the time the fire started they were in the school compound. All the properties of senior one students have perished," Mbarara regional police spokesperson Mr Samson Kasasira said on Friday. 

Authorities at the school have suspended studies until at least June 20. 

“Day scholars can go home and those in boarding can stay and organize their properties as the affected students get accommodated by the seniors.  We shall communicate the way forward on Monday,” Mbarara Secondary School Deputy Headteacher Mr Abel Ayorekye said. 

The cause of the fire had not been established by press time on Friday.