St. James Catholic Primary School in Nakawa division has been gutted down to ashes by fire.
The incident happened on October 31, 2024, at around 8:30 am in Bbina village, Nakawa division, Kampala district.
According to the eyewitnesses, all school property has been burned down apart from what the teachers and pupils had on their bodies; however, no casualties were reported.
The fire is reported to have been caused by the high electricity voltage when it came back, which caused sparking of electric wires, and eventually a fire started.
In an interview with journalists, a local identified as Derrick Nabudere revealed that no pupil was injured apart from a few who fainted due to shock and smoke from the fire.
Nabudere asked the authorities to investigate the causes of fire accidents in schools because this is the second school to get burned down to ashes during the third term in the area.
’’The school did not have any fire extinguishers, which also affected putting out the fire,’’ Nabudere reported.
Godfrey Luyombya, the Nakawa division speaker, confirmed the incident, noting that most schools lack fire extinguishers, yet they are so crucial in fire control and prevention.
Luyombya added that electricity had gone for three days, and when it came back, the voltage was high, and it destroyed a lot of property in the parish.
“Primary seven pupils are going to sit their Universal Primary Examinations (UPE) next week; however, they have lost all their revision notes in the fire, which is so sad and worrying,” he noted.
He also called upon the government to urgently render assistance to the affected school because it is the only UPE government school in the area that is affordable for the locals.
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The recent fire incidents in Nakawa, particularly affecting schools, have raised significant concerns regarding fire safety protocols.
Additionally, the National Build Review Board report 2024 indicates that most schools do not comply with established fire safety standards. This includes a lack of essential safety equipment such as fire alarms and extinguishers.
On September 21, 2024, a fire completely destroyed Side View Nursery and Primary School located in Kinawataka zone I, Nakawa division, Kampala, and it is believed to have started in the school’s kitchen and quickly spread due to the wooden structures, leaving the entire school property in ruins.
