BY NELLY OTTO, LIRA
THE Tekwaro Lango Paramount Chief (Won Nyaci) Eng. Dr Michael Moses Odongo-Okune has sent condolences to the families whose tender age children died in a fire accident at Kasana Junior School in Masaka City.
Death toll from the Monday dawn incident has risen to seven, leaving family members and residents in grief at this time when they were expecting their children to return for the long holidays.
The cause of the fire is under police investigation, although the first report suggested it started by a short circuit where the matron Christine Adong had placed her mobile phone for charging.
“…it’s a tragedy so painful for not only the parents who have been struggling to offer these little angels a better future but to the nation whose future lies in the current young generation…”Okune mourns.
While asking the police to conduct thorough investigations into the accident, Okune also urged the stakeholders to ensure safety and security protocols are put in place in schools and other public places like markets, churches and mosques as well as cinema halls.
The acclaimed civil engineer-turned traditional leader also implored the Fire Brigade to be proactive by inspecting the schools where they can provide technical and professional guidance to the administrators.
Using the popular health phrase, “Prevention is better than Cure”,Okune also asked local authorities like city engineers, physical planners and town clerks to work together to make sure that schools and colleges are constructed in accordance with the Building Control Act,2013.
The Building Act has a number of regulations like the Building Regulations 2020 and provisions aimed at ensuring that the lives of occupants of buildings are not at risk of destruction through collapse or fire due to shoddy work.
In 2022 the government through the Ministry of Education and Sports issued guidelines directing that all burglar proofing in classrooms, libraries and dormitories be removed to serve as emergency escape routes in case of fire outbreak.
According to these guidelines which have been ignored, schools were also asked to provide additional exit doors in all classrooms, libraries and dormitories adding private security guards should be recruited to offer another security layer.
“… unfortunately most or all of these dormitories have burglar proofs, the schools do not have smoke detectors, the matrons and wardens are not always vigilant, making us end in such tragedies…”Okune laments.
He also made a passionate appeal to the administrators and owners of both government grant aided and private ones to desist from overcrowding the learners in the desperate attempt to make money.
According to the police, another version says the fire could have started by a yet to be identified arsonist.
Four members of the school are in detention to record statements as investigations widened up to establish the true source and cause of the tragedy which has generated a lot of anxiety in the whole country.
The affected dormitory had about 15 young children of Top class and P1. Within the last one month, the country has witnessed a number of schools getting burnt down caused by either negligence or undisciplined learners.
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