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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gayaza High School administrators have called for calm among parents and learners in the aftermath of another fire that gutted the school on Sunday.
This is the second fire in a space of two days. The first one, on Friday night burnt Corby dormitory and destroyed all the students’ property to ashes, while the second fire gutted Kivebulaya dormitory on Sunday afternoon.
As news of the fire spread, parents started storming the school asking to take their children away until the police finalizes its investigations into the cause of the fires. However, the school denied them access.
“What if another incident happens and we lose our children? When the first fire broke out, we were told to stay calm and that is what we did. But just after a few days we are now hearing that it could have been planned,” parents lamented while shouting at the security guards who had been deployed at the gate to block their access.
One parent who identified herself as Polly says that she was able to speak to her child who seemed scared and couldn’t stop crying all through the conversation. She advised the school to accept that there is a problem and send the children home for a while as investigations go on. She says the children are too traumatized to learn.
Another guardian who preferred anonymity says that he contacted the school administrators after receiving information but they indicated that there was no second fire at the school.
Robinah Kizito Katongole, the school headteacher told journalists that the incident was blown out of proportion. “It was a minor incident and it has been handled. We later called in police who have also shown up but everything is fine,” said Katongole during a quick interview with URN.
She added that the school wasn’t breaking off since the matter has since been handled with security at the school being beefed up. She accepted that the two incidents could have affected the students and the school is soon going to offer psychosocial support to the students and staff.
Edison Muhangi, the Kasangati Divisional Police Commander says that they have agreed not to allow anyone inside for the purpose of ensuring children’s safety. Uganda Radio Network has also learned that Kasangati Police Division has asked for reinforcement of more female police officers who are going to be deployed in and out of the school.
Muhangi says that all the children are safe, since there were no injuries recorded in both cases. However, Muhangi refutes notes preliminary investigations are pointing to possible arson.
Meanwhile, as investigations into the matter first on, police in Kasangati have been reinforced with more female police officers who are going to oversee the internal security at the country’s oldest all-girls boarding school.
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