Two children burn to death after mother locks them in the house

Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy spokesperson Kampala Metropolitan Police, said preliminary investigations reveal that Fraridah Nanono, a resident of Kifamba Zone in Makindye, locked her two children, Babirye Nabaka 4 and Ssembatya Karim 2, in her single room before going to collect water.

“Unfortunately, a fire started and the two children were burnt beyond recognition,” Owoyesigyire said, adding that the remains of the two children have been taken to the city mortuary Mulago for a postmortem.

A month ago, the police Director for Fire and Rescue Services Assistant Inspector General of Police, Joseph Mugisa, revealed that the series of fires gutting schools across the country were a result of deliberate action, otherwise known as arson.

These fires began soon after schools nationwide were reopened on January 10 after a two-year lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19, fires subsequently blazed through schools in Kampala, Kyotera, Wakiso, Kamuli and Mayuge districts.

Five children lost their lives when a fire broke out in New Crest Junior at Kibedi in Kawempe division in Kampala, and St Johns Nursery & Primary school in Kyotera district. Four of the five fatalities were pupils at New Crest Junior in Kampala while one fatality was a pupil at St Johns Nursery and Primary school.

Although police have not concluded its investigations into these fires yet, Mugisa says forensic evidence so far indicates that all these fires were premediated.

Mugisa added, however, that although these fires arose out of deliberate action, police have not yet found out why the gutted schools were set ablaze in the first place.

“Majority were as a result of suspected deliberate action by unknown people,” Mugisa said. “That’s what we have established. It was for unknown reasons so far, but that is what we have established,” Mugisa said.

The five pupils who died in these school fires are Tena Denge 6, Bashira Nabawesi 6, Julian Nakalanzi 6, and Hasina Nakawuki 7, who were all pupils at New Crest Junior at Kibedi while Mark Savio Serugo was the pupil who died at St Johns Nursery and Primary school.

“There is a lot going on in the country,” the Assistant Inspector General said. “Our officers wherever they are, are moving around boarding schools doing the teaching and doing the inspection. In the first two weeks, we had a number of fires but the trend has changed. The awareness is on plugging loopholes. We are about to succeed but there is no room for complacency. The tempo must continue,” Mugisa said.

As for the recent fires at non-scholastic establishments, Mugisa looked away from any smoking gun and revealed that police found out that these fires were accidental, even though preventable.

He cited the fire at Vivo Energy last week and says it was caused by friction in the fuel truck tyres after moving for very long distances. The fire at Hima Cement factory, he added, resulted from metal fabrication sparks.