How I survived the fire
Eight-year-old Martha Namala survived the fire by a whisker. The second-born of three children gives her chilling account of the suspected arsonists attack that killed 20 girls of Budo Junior in Nassolo dormitory.
By Chris Kiwawulo
Eight-year-old Martha Namala survived the fire by a whisker. The second-born of three children gives her chilling account of the suspected arsonists attack that killed 20 girls of Budo Junior in Nassolo dormitory.
My friend Sarah Gassim woke me and the assistant dormitory leader, Mastula Nakafero. “Fire! fire! Wake up!†Nakafero shouted but only a few of us responded. She opened the door and we rushed out. There was no padlock on the door, which was locked from inside with a latch as is always the case.
The fire started at the topmost bed of the triple-decker near the window. It was loaded with our pillows which the housemother, Damalie Basirika, had stopped us from using a week before because we were about to go home for holidays and she did not want us to take dirty pillows home.
The girl on the top-most decker had been transferred to another dormitory, Collard, said the shaken but brave Namala. She looked composed and pushed her narrative forward with gestures.
The other girl, Merciful Kwagala, she went on, who used to sleep in the middle bed of the fateful decker, had been picked by her parents on Sunday, a day before the fire outbreak. The only girl on that decker was Leticia Nankumba, who also heeded to Nakafero's call and survived.
Another lucky girl, Patience Kinalwa, had also been picked by her parents on Sunday. The rest of us were still waiting for the term to end.
Before we came out, Halima Babirye tried to wake up her twin sister, Mariam Nakato, but she said she did not want to be disturbed since she had just slept. At this time, Namala looks at her father in the eye, as if to say ‘I survived daddy.’ Her father, Ssendawula, vividly remembers how he panicked trying to identify his daughter the morning following the fire.
Namala also talked of the bravery of the dormitory leader, Yvone Namaganda, who died as she attempted to save her housemates. The Primary Five girl was the eldest resident of the dormitory. I did not see any other adult person in the dormitory when I woke up. There was no power that night. In fact that was the fourth day of the black-out. Our dormitory had two doors but we were only using one. The matron had put the cupboard that keeps our snacks on the second door, so we could not use it to get out.
As the fire raged, we shouted and the nearby dormitory matrons Esther Nakumusana and Auntie Margaret came to our rescue. She broke the window panes where the fire started and injured her hand. She ran to get a bandage to stop the bleeding. She rejoined Auntie Nakumusana to pour water through the window but the fire simply got worse. The askaris did not leave the gate and refused to let people in to help us.
Likewise, our matron, who sleeps a few metres away, was nowhere to be seen even when we shouted.
She only showed up after the Fire Brigade had put off the fire and the bodies were being retrieved. Usually, she comes to the dormitory only at 7:00pm to say good night to us and returns at about 6:00am to wake us up. Although the Police put the fire out, all our clothes had been burnt and our friends had died.
When my dad came for me, we had gathered at the football pitch. I no longer want to go back to Budo. I have already told daddy to take me somewhere else.
Eight-year-old Martha Namala survived the fire by a whisker. The second-born of three children gives her chilling account of the suspected arsonists attack that killed 20 girls of Budo Junior in Nassolo dormitory.
My friend Sarah Gassim woke me and the assistant dormitory leader, Mastula Nakafero. “Fire! fire! Wake up!†Nakafero shouted but only a few of us responded. She opened the door and we rushed out. There was no padlock on the door, which was locked from inside with a latch as is always the case.
The fire started at the topmost bed of the triple-decker near the window. It was loaded with our pillows which the housemother, Damalie Basirika, had stopped us from using a week before because we were about to go home for holidays and she did not want us to take dirty pillows home.
The girl on the top-most decker had been transferred to another dormitory, Collard, said the shaken but brave Namala. She looked composed and pushed her narrative forward with gestures.
The other girl, Merciful Kwagala, she went on, who used to sleep in the middle bed of the fateful decker, had been picked by her parents on Sunday, a day before the fire outbreak. The only girl on that decker was Leticia Nankumba, who also heeded to Nakafero's call and survived.
Another lucky girl, Patience Kinalwa, had also been picked by her parents on Sunday. The rest of us were still waiting for the term to end.
Before we came out, Halima Babirye tried to wake up her twin sister, Mariam Nakato, but she said she did not want to be disturbed since she had just slept. At this time, Namala looks at her father in the eye, as if to say ‘I survived daddy.’ Her father, Ssendawula, vividly remembers how he panicked trying to identify his daughter the morning following the fire.
Namala also talked of the bravery of the dormitory leader, Yvone Namaganda, who died as she attempted to save her housemates. The Primary Five girl was the eldest resident of the dormitory. I did not see any other adult person in the dormitory when I woke up. There was no power that night. In fact that was the fourth day of the black-out. Our dormitory had two doors but we were only using one. The matron had put the cupboard that keeps our snacks on the second door, so we could not use it to get out.
As the fire raged, we shouted and the nearby dormitory matrons Esther Nakumusana and Auntie Margaret came to our rescue. She broke the window panes where the fire started and injured her hand. She ran to get a bandage to stop the bleeding. She rejoined Auntie Nakumusana to pour water through the window but the fire simply got worse. The askaris did not leave the gate and refused to let people in to help us.
Likewise, our matron, who sleeps a few metres away, was nowhere to be seen even when we shouted.
She only showed up after the Fire Brigade had put off the fire and the bodies were being retrieved. Usually, she comes to the dormitory only at 7:00pm to say good night to us and returns at about 6:00am to wake us up. Although the Police put the fire out, all our clothes had been burnt and our friends had died.
When my dad came for me, we had gathered at the football pitch. I no longer want to go back to Budo. I have already told daddy to take me somewhere else.