Early Morning Fire Burns Ugandan Girls School Dormitory into Ashes

An early morning fire at Kyeibare Girls SS left students counting losses. No injuries and deaths were reported but several students lost scholastic materials, mattresses, and important academic documents, among other items.

Students reported losing documents like birth certificates and pass slips.

Fire broke out in the Australia Dormitory at Kyeibare Girls Secondary School in Mitooma District in the morning of Friday, July 11, 2025.

The fire outbreak was reported at about 5am as students were in classes for the routine morning prep.

Kyeibare Girls SS headmistress Olive Nuwasiima said the fire could have started not long after it was restored following a long outage.

It is now suspected that the fire outbreak could have been caused by an electric short circuit.

“We suspect the fire started due to a short circuit when power was restored after the long outage,” said Nuwasiima.

“This [fire outbreak] has affected many girls, especially candidates. We appeal to parents, old students, and well-wishers to come to their aid.”

Mitooma District Education Officer Peace Barungi, who visited the school after the fire outbrek, was concerned that the devastating fire had disrupted learning.

“It’s a huge setback for the girls, especially candidates preparing for national exams. I commend the school administration for acting swiftly and thank the community members who helped contain the fire,” she was quoted as saying.

“We are calling upon all stakeholders to support the affected students with scholastic materials, bedding, and counseling services. We must stand with them to ensure they recover in time to sit their exams.”

Police say they are investigating the cause of the fire. Officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Mitooma visited the scene and recorded statements from witnesses.

“Preliminary findings point to an electrical issue, but we are still gathering information,” Greater Bushenyi acting police spokesperson SP Apollo Tayebwa.

“We commend the school’s swift action, which prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.”

Meanwhile, in Mbarara City, the body of an expelled Ntare School student has been recovered from River Rwizi. (See Details Here).

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