By our reporter
Parents and students of Kyambogo College School in Kampala are in distress after a devastating fire destroyed the boys’ dormitory on Tuesday evening, leaving students with nothing but the clothes they were wearing at the time. The fire, which started around 6 p.m., reduced the dormitory and all of the students’ belongings to ashes, with no injuries reported among the students.
The incident has sparked outrage among some parents, who are questioning why the school management did not immediately inform them of the fire. Several parents expressed frustration over the school’s decision to withhold information about the extent of the damage, leaving them unaware and unable to send immediate help or supplies to their children.
“I can’t believe the school kept this a secret from us. My son has lost everything, and the school never even told us about the fire until after it was too late,” one concerned parent told our reporter. “Why didn’t they let us know so we could bring things our children urgently needed? This is unacceptable.”
The Regional Police Commander for Kampala Metropolitan Police East, SSP Musinguzi Jonathan, confirmed the incident, stating that only one dormitory was affected by the fire. “The fire gutted the boys’ dormitory, but fortunately, no student was injured,” Musinguzi said. “Investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing.”
In the aftermath of the fire, the affected students were temporarily accommodated in the school’s main hall. The situation has been made more difficult by the fact that students were left with only the clothes they were wearing. However, it is said that Nabisunsa Girls School, another Kampala-based institution, has donated at least 100 beds to Kyambogo College School to assist the displaced students during this challenging time.
Despite these efforts, many parents remain upset with the lack of communication from the school, questioning why they were not informed about the fire earlier so they could assist their children. “The school should have contacted us right away to let us know what happened and what our children needed,” another parent said. “They left us in the dark, and now our children have lost everything.”
As the investigations into the fire continue, the school and local authorities are under pressure to address concerns about the safety and communication procedures at Kyambogo College School, ensuring that such a tragedy does not happen again and that students and parents are better informed in the future.
