MANAFWA DISTRICT – The Chairperson of the Bugisu Parliamentary Caucus and Member of Parliament for Butiru County, Hon. Godfrey Wakooli Matembu, has donated UGX 4 million to support students of Butiru Christian Comprehensive Secondary School following a devastating fire that destroyed a boys' dormitory and left dozens of learners without their belongings.
The fire broke out on Sunday evening at the school's boys' dormitory located in Butiru Town Council, Manafwa District, reducing students' property, including mattresses, clothing, books, and other scholastic materials, to ashes.
Upon receiving information about the incident from his Personal Assistant, Wodada, Hon. Wakooli, who was in Kampala on official duties, immediately travelled back to Manafwa to assess the situation and offer support to the affected students.
Fortunately, no lives were lost in the incident.
According to the school's Head Teacher, Mr. Simon Masaba, the fire broke out at around 9:00 p.m. while students were attending evening prep classes.
"We heard an alarm coming from the boys' dormitory, and when we rushed to the scene, the building was already engulfed in flames. Thankfully, the students were in class revising at the time, which helped prevent any loss of life," Masaba explained.
He revealed that more than 60 students were affected by the fire and lost nearly all of their personal belongings.
Mr. Masaba commended Hon. Wakooli for his timely intervention and generosity.
"We are grateful to Hon. Wakooli for standing with us during this difficult time. The donation will go a long way in helping the affected students replace some of the essential items they lost in the fire," he said.
While addressing students and school administrators, Hon. Wakooli expressed sympathy to the affected learners and reassured them that they were not alone during this challenging period.
"Education remains a priority, and I encourage the students not to lose hope. We shall continue working together with the school and other stakeholders to ensure that learning continues smoothly despite this unfortunate incident," Wakooli said.
The legislator also called upon schools across the Bugisu sub-region to strengthen fire safety measures and equip students with basic fire-fighting skills.
"Schools should regularly train learners and staff on fire prevention and emergency response. Such knowledge can save lives and property when unexpected incidents occur," he noted.
Hon. Wakooli further urged students to remain calm, assuring them that security agencies had already managed the situation and that investigations into the cause of the fire were underway.
The incident has sparked renewed calls for improved fire safety infrastructure in schools across the region to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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