Fire Safety in Ugandan Schools: National Building Review Board’s expert gives tips

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When tragedy strikes in Ugandan schools, it often comes in the form of fire.

Dormitories packed with children, buildings with poor access, inadequate fire hydrants, plus teachers or matrons using unsafe cooking stoves —these are not rare anomalies but recurring realities.

Over the years, several school fires have claimed lives, leaving families shattered and raising questions about accountability and safety in learning institutions.

On Thursday, October 11, this urgent issue took centre stage in a Twitter Space featuring Eng. Irene Kobusinge, Senior Investigations Officer at the National Building Review Board (NBRB), during a discussion hosted by Robert Kabushenga, former Chief Executive Officer of Vision Group.  The conversation was candid, unsettling, but necessary.

What to do when a fire breaks out

Qn: Irene, let’s start with the basics. When a fire breaks out in a school or any building, what should people do?

Ans: It’s an emergency—at whatever time. The very first response is to get up and move towards a fire assembly point. Unfortunately, our research shows that while about 55% of schools have designated fire assembly points, 45% don’t. That means nearly half of the children in our schools don’t know where to go when a fire starts. We investigated a tragic case where a fire began on a bed in the middle of a dormitory. A child woke up with flames at her feet. She called for help, but sadly, someone had deliberately set the fire from outside through a window and fled. Situations like this highlight just how unprepared we are.

Qn: Beyond assembly points, how many schools actually train their staff or students to handle fire emergencies?

Ans: From our findings, only about 40% of schools had something resembling fire safety marshals. But even then, many schools confuse safety with security. For example, an administration might appoint a “safety officer,” but in practice, that person only deals with guards and gates—not fire preparedness. Those we have managed to sensitize now appreciate their role better, but we still have a long way to go.

Qn: You’ve conducted extensive inspections. What about the safety of the buildings themselves—electrical wiring, fittings, construction standards?

Ans: Compliance levels in the built environment are still very low. People cut corners to save money. For electrical and mechanical installations, compliance is at about 20%. That means four out of every five schools are at risk. The most common shortcomings we’ve found include faulty wiring, congested dormitories, and the misuse of flammable materials. Human negligence plays a big role too.

Qn: What about unsafe practices like cooking inside dormitories? I’ve heard of cases where matrons cook inside dormitories. Is this true?

Ans: Unfortunately, yes. We’ve found cases where matrons cook using charcoal stoves inside dormitories, and after cooking, they shove the stoves under beds, assuming the fire will die out. It’s extremely dangerous. Many matrons don’t have kitchens of their own. While some schools allow them to eat school meals, others force them to improvise. This is a systemic issue that the Ministry of Education needs to address urgently.

Qn: Suppose you’re a parent taking your child to a boarding school. What can you realistically do to reduce the risk?

Ans: Parents must insist on inspecting the sleeping environments. Some schools try to block this, but as a parent, you have the right to know. Parents underestimate their collective power. If they stood together and said: “These dormitories are unsafe, fix them,” schools would act. Fire safety improvements don’t have to happen overnight—it can be a phased process. But it must start with awareness and demand from parents.

Qn: Irene, many people feel that regulators and inspectors are not doing enough. What’s your take?

Ans: It’s not entirely true. At NBRB, we developed a self-assessment fire safety tool that school owners can use online. They answer a series of questions and get a score of how safe—or unsafe—their premises are. That said, enforcement remains a challenge. Some powerful school owners resist compliance, and penalties are weak. But I must emphasize—change is possible when parents and communities demand it.

Qn: You mentioned “flashover” earlier. Could you explain?

Ans: Flashover is the stage where a fire becomes uncontrollable. In dormitories, with beds so close together, this stage comes within 20 minutes. At that point, firefighters can’t extinguish it—they can only prevent it from spreading to other buildings. This means evacuation must happen very quickly. If students aren’t trained or if exits are blocked, survival rates drop drastically.

Qn: What have you learned from your engagement with the Fire Brigade? And what challenges do firefighters face when responding to school fires?

Ans:The first challenge is accessibility. Many schools are built deep inside narrow corridors. Fire trucks are large and heavy; sometimes they can’t get closer than 50 meters to the school. The second challenge is water. Uganda has very few functional fire hydrants. Many are dry or vandalized. Fire trucks are supposed to refill quickly from hydrants, but when none are nearby, they move slowly while carrying water. By the time they arrive, the fire is often beyond control. The third challenge is distribution. Fire stations are concentrated in urban centers. Rural areas have almost no firefighting capacity.

Qn: What happens when negligence by engineers or builders leads to unsafe schools? Are engineers and developers held accountable for unsafe buildings?

Ans: We do hold professionals accountable. When our investigations reveal negligence, we report to the Engineers Registration Board. In some cases, engineers have been suspended. We also engage professional forums, reminding engineers that their laziness or shortcuts kill people. Developers must also know that cutting corners only creates bigger costs in the future—sometimes in human lives.

Qn: What about children with disabilities in school fires? Irene, one thing that breaks my heart is the vulnerability of children with disabilities.

Ans:Yes, this is tragic. We had a case where a child with a hearing impairment couldn’t hear the alarm or calls to evacuate. While everyone else escaped, he was found dead after the fire was extinguished. Another devastating case in Mukono involved a school for blind children, many lost their lives. We must design different fire safety strategies for special needs schools. That includes trained aides, accessible escape routes, and alternative warning systems like flashing lights for the hearing impaired.

Qn: As we wind up, what final advice would you give parents, students, and developers?

Ans: To parents: Demand to see where your children sleep. Ask questions about fire safety. Don’t underestimate your power.

To students: Always know your exits, listen during drills, and never ignore a fire alarm.

To school owners and developers: Cutting corners doesn’t save money—it costs lives. Compliance is not optional; it’s the difference between life and death.