Police in Kanungu District are holding a Senior Four student of Trinity College Butogota Secondary School for allegedly setting fire to a male dormitory at the school.
According to Kigezi Sub-region Police spokesperson Nelson Tumushime, the incident occurred on June 8, 2026, at around 7:30pm.
Police say the student had been suspended from the school on June 3 over repeated cases of indiscipline.
It is alleged that he later returned to the school premises, picked a student's uniform from a clothesline, wore it and blended in with other learners attending evening preparatory studies in the library before disappearing.
Tumushime said the fire was discovered during a short break in the evening study session.
“During a five-minute break, one student rushed to the dormitory to drink water at the water tank and as soon as he reached, he saw flames of fire from the male dormitory and on going there to check what could have happened, he saw the suspect running away half dressed without a shirt,” he said.
Police officers from Butogota Police Station, working together with members of the local community, responded swiftly and managed to contain the fire before it could spread further.
Authorities confirmed that no injuries or loss of life were recorded in the incident.
The student is currently being held at Butogota Police Station as investigations into the suspected arson continue.
Police have urged members of the public to allow investigations to proceed and cautioned students against engaging in acts that endanger lives and property.