The High Court in Masaka has commenced the long-awaited hearing of the 2018 St Bernard Secondary School dormitory fire case in which 10 students lost their lives.
The case is being heard before Victoria Nankintu Katamba, Resident Judge of the High Court in Masaka. During Monday’s proceedings, State Prosecutor Deborah Itawu presented the prosecution’s first witness, former deputy head teacher Proscovia Namuganza.
While giving her testimony, Namuganza told the court that the deadly fire occurred just three days after the school had experienced an earlier attempted arson attack on the boys’ dormitory.
She testified that on November 8, 2018, an unknown person allegedly set part of the dormitory ablaze. However, the fire was contained before it could spread throughout the building.
“I was asleep at my residence within the school when I heard people shouting that the dormitory was on fire. Fortunately, we managed to stop the flames after they had only destroyed one triple-decker bed,” Namuganza told the court.
She added that pupils from St Nicolas Primary School reportedly informed school authorities that they had seen a black, muscular man throw a bottle containing petrol through a broken window into the dormitory shortly before the fire broke out.
Namuganza further testified that by the time of the fatal blaze on November 11, 2018, several students, including Henry Taremwa and Alex Mugarura, had already been suspended from the school following disciplinary action.
According to her evidence, a group of 11 students had allegedly sneaked out of school, returned while intoxicated, and caused disorder in the dormitory. The school’s disciplinary committee subsequently suspended them and directed that they complete their final examinations as private candidates after reporting with their parents.
The court also heard that on the night of the fatal fire, the boys’ dormitory—which was ordinarily left unlocked while students were inside—was allegedly secured with two large padlocks. Rescue efforts were reportedly delayed as those responding to the fire struggled to break the locks and gain access to the burning building.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Sam Ssekyewa questioned whether the prosecution witness had any direct evidence linking the accused to the fire beyond their previous disciplinary record.
Namuganza acknowledged that she had no direct evidence connecting the accused persons to the incident but maintained that they had allegedly threatened to retaliate following their suspension.
Ssekyewa also argued that one of the accused, Dickson Kisule, was already in police custody on unrelated charges on the night the fire occurred.
The defence further suggested that tensions between the school administration and some part-time teachers, who were reportedly dissatisfied with reforms requiring them to reapply for their positions, could have been another possible motive behind the arson.
Ssekyewa referred the court to media reports, including one published by Bukedde newspaper in September 2019, which indicated that some suspects arrested during the investigations allegedly claimed they had been hired by certain teachers linked to private schools operating near St Bernard Secondary School.
He argued that investigators may have focused on the suspended students and Edison Nio, a chapati vendor who operated outside the school and was allegedly associated with some of the accused, while overlooking other possible suspects.
Speaking to journalists after the court session, Ssekyewa welcomed the commencement of the trial, expressing confidence that the evidence would ultimately prove his clients’ innocence and establish that those responsible for the dormitory fire remain unidentified.
Justice Victoria Nankintu Katamba adjourned the matter to June 30, when the prosecution is expected to present additional witnesses.
According to the charge sheet, the accused face a total of 49 charges, including 10 counts of murder, 36 counts of attempted murder, and one count of attempted arson.
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