Tears as P.7 candidates lose their reading materials in fire

East African Gazette

With just a less than a month left before the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), many schools are expected to have completed syllabus, utilizing the remaining time for revision.

However, it is a different story for 101 candidates of Kamuli Girls Primary School, in Bukwenge Cell, Sabawali Parish, Kamuli Municipality, Kamuli District who have been left in tears after a fire destroyed their dormitory and reduced their books, clothes, and beddings to ashes.

The exams are scheduled for November 7th–9th, 2023, starting with a briefing.

The regrettable tragedy, according to a statement by the police spokesperson for Busoga North Michael Kasadha, took place October 14, 2023, at about midnight.

“Fire engulfed one of the dormitories for the P7 candidates, totaling 101 students. Swift action by the matron ensured the safe evacuation of the students to a secure location, averting potential harm as the fire escalated,” he noted.

He emphasized that the crew from the Fire and Rescue Services was able to put out the flames.

“Regrettably, the pupils’ belongings, including bedding, metallic cases containing books, and personal effects, were all consumed by the fire,” Kasadha noted.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire originated from an unoccupied lower bed.

“The student on the upper bed felt the heat and promptly reported it to the matron. Upon receiving the alert, the matron attempted to combat the fire with an extinguisher during its early stages. Despite the efforts of the staff, the fire proved uncontrollable and priority was given to evacuation of students over belongings,” he added.

He stressed that the teams are conducting thorough investigations to determine the root cause of this devastating fire outbreak.

The school authorities have since sent all the candidates back home to get through the shock.

A total of 749,372 candidates are expected to sit PLE countrywide.