Masaka City, Nyendo-Mukungwe Division – A morning lightning strike at Sserinya Primary School, Kayijja has left 15 Primary Six pupils and 3 teachers hospitalized at St. Joseph Kitovu Hospital, with one teacher in critical condition.
- Victims:
- Ponsiano Mutaawe (teacher from Isingiro) – unconscious, admitted to ICU
- Florence Nambalirwa (teacher) – leg injuries
- Rose [surname withheld] (teacher) – chest trauma
- 15 P6 pupils – receiving treatment for shock/burns
- Eyewitness Account:
Headteacher John Bosco Tumuhirwe reported the strike occurred during a power outage amid heavy rain, with no lightning rods on the school’s aging structure. Residents confirmed 1.5 hours of intense storms before the incident.
- Masaka District officials and Kkansala representatives visited the scene, promising emergency school safety audits.
- Parents demand government intervention to install lightning protection systems in rural schools.
