Africa-Press – Uganda. Primary Seven candidates of Kamuli Girls’ Boarding Primary School, Kamuli District in Eastern Uganda, have been sent home after their dormitory was gutted by fire with barely a month to national examinations.
Bungu House, which was named after the last male head teacher, and accommodating about 101 pupils, was reduced to rubble by the Saturday morning fire that started on one of the beds, before engulfing the entire dormitory.
All the pupils’ property, including mattresses, bed sheets, clothes and books, were burnt but all the learners safely evacuated.
Joseph Musoke, the Kamuli Municipal Education Officer, resolved that the candidates go for psychological counseling with their parents until Tuesday (next week), and during the period, the parents should talk to them and provide the necessities to settle in time for their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
At least 749,371 candidates are expected to sit this year’s PLE which will be conducted from November 7 to 9 countrywide.
“Our biggest relief is that all the 101 candidates are safe, alive and we know that they will perform better in the exams because they have been well prepared and are now using this remaining time for revision,” Musoke told Monitor on Saturday.
Monica Nairuba, a parent, who also represented the Kamuli Town Clerk, cautioned parents against speculation.
The Busoga North Police Spokesperson, Michael Kasadha, said their fire brigade unit acted fast and helped to put out the fire as he commended the matron of the dormitory and the pupil who first saw the fire for saving the lives of the rest.
“The matron made relentless efforts to evacuate all the girls, while commanding them to get out before the smoke could suffocate them,” Kasadha said, adding that they are “investigating the cause and motive of the fire.”
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