According to according research by the National Buildings Review Board (NBRB), only 13% of schools in Uganda have implemented measures to protect students from fire outbreaks,
The study, conducted between May 2022 and May 2023 in collaboration with various stakeholders in the education industry, including ministries, Uganda Police Force, local governments, proprietors of private schools, government owned institutions among others, sampled 120 schools nationwide.
It was established that only 13% of dormitories were within occupancy limits, and the highest level of firefighting preparedness was 62% in a school that had previously experienced a fire.
NBRB also found that schools still lacked firefighting equipment, maintained inappropriate security measures, insufficient fire safety knowledge, blocked exit doors, and absence of fire hydrant points were also noted.
The research highlighted deficiencies in school safety measures, with none of the visited dormitories having automatic fire detection systems.
Flavia Bwire, the Executive Secretary of NBRB, said among other key findings revealed, was that 35% of all fire incidents in the country occur in schools.
She stated that arson is the primary cause, responsible for two-thirds of fires, followed by negligence, electrical faults, natural occurrences, and maintenance works.
“Visited dormitories had an automatic fire detection and alarm system. Some schools lacked basic firefighting equipment, utilized inappropriate burglar-proofing, lacked fire safety knowledge and emergency response, and had insufficient or blocked exit doors.” she revealed
She emphasized that younger learners and those with special needs are disproportionately affected, especially in dormitories at night.
She stated that NBRB has directed building committees and control officers to inspect all school buildings in their jurisdiction and issue certification of compliance.
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