Police in Mbarara City South Division are investigating a suspected arson after a fire gutted a boy’s dormitory of Shuhudal Islamic Secondary School in the early hours of Friday.
The school, located in Nyamitanga Cell Mbarara City South Division, lost the dormitory that housed 202 students of Senior Two and Three to the suspected arson case.
According to the Rwizi Police spokesperson Samson Kasasira, the Police Fire and Rescue Services responded to the scene after receiving the information and managed to put out the fire with assistance from the Nyamitanga Diocese Fire Brigade.
"The students housed in Darasalam dormitory were able to escape without injuries apart from one Sulaiman Baingana aged 17 who got injuries on his back and arms," Kasasira said.
Imran Jaggwe, assistant head boy at the school, said they noticed the fire at around 45am.
"We don’t know where the fire came from but only one student sustained injuries,” he said.
The extent of property damage in the dormitory has been documented. However, the Fire Department successfully contained the fire, preventing it from spreading to adjacent structures.
Mr Mugerwa Kafeero, the head teacher, expressed gratefulness that there was no fatality but said all the property for the 202 boys of both S2 and S3 had been lost in the fire,
Kafeero appealed to government and well-wishers to offer quick support to the school.
“We request the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and all well-wishers to come to our rescue. The learners have lost a lot of items, the school needs to reconstruct this dormitory to give our learners continued safe accommodation,” Kafeero said.