KABALE! Fire Guts Butogota Trinity College Dormitory, Property Worth Millions Destroyed, Student Held

Police in the Kigezi Region have revealed that a Senior Four student arrested in connection with the torching of a boys’ dormitory at Butogota Trinity College in Kanungu District had a history of indiscipline.

The suspect, identified as John Elisha, a Senior Four student and resident of Butogota Upper Village in Butogota Town Council, is currently being detained at Butogota Police Station as investigations continue.

The fire broke out on Monday night at around 9:30 p.m., engulfing the school’s boys’ dormitory and destroying students’ property. According to the school headteacher, Wense Muhwezi, the incident occurred while students were attending evening prep classes.

Property destroyed in the blaze included mattresses, blankets, bedsheets, clothes, books and beds, leaving many students without personal belongings.

The Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson, Nelson Tumushime, says preliminary investigations indicate that Elisha had a record of serious indiscipline.

According to Tumushime, the student had been suspended by the school administration on June 3, 2026, after repeatedly violating school rules and regulations despite several warnings.

Tumushime says that on June 8, 2026, at about 7:30 p.m., Elisha sneaked into the school premises, picked a school uniform belonging to another student that had been left hanging on a wire, and put it on. He reportedly joined other students in the library for evening prep classes.

According to the Police, he did not remain there for long and disappeared while the other students continued with their studies.

During a five-minute break, one student went to the dormitory area to fetch drinking water from a nearby water tank. Upon arrival, he allegedly noticed flames coming from the boys’ dormitory and rushed closer to investigate.

The student reportedly saw Elisha running away from the scene, partially dressed and without a shirt. He is said to have raised an alarm, attracting fellow students and teachers.

Residents from the surrounding community are said to have joined efforts to contain the fire before it spread further.

Tumushime also says that although significant property was destroyed, no lives were lost and no injuries were reported.

Tumushime says that investigations into the incident are ongoing. He adds that the incident should be an eye-opener to the management of schools to always be extra careful with students suspended, so that they don’t get access to sneak into schools until they are cleared by authorities.
This is the second suspected arson attack targeting a school in the Kigezi Region within less than a month.

In mid-May 2026, suspected arsonists set fire to structures at Amazing Grace Nursery and Primary School in Kisoro Municipality. Unknown masked individuals reportedly carried out three separate attacks, destroying mattresses, clothes, bedsheets, furniture, roofing materials, and other school property.

The school was closed for one week to allow security agencies to conduct investigations. It was later cleared to resume operations last week.

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