Editor
Fifty-six students at Kihihi High School in Kanungu District were injured during a violent strike that occurred between Friday night and today morning.
According to Gad Rugaaju Ahimbisibwe, the Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner, the chaos erupted when the power suddenly went out, enveloping the school in darkness.
Unknown individuals took advantage of the situation and began vandalizing school property, including classroom windows and electricity wires.
Even the school head teacher’s motor vehicle, a Rav 4 with the registration number UAV 976W, was not spared from the destruction. As the students slept, some were abruptly awakened and started fleeing the school.
Many of the fleeing students, particularly girls, were met with police intervention, resulting in the firing of bullets.
Rugaaju reported that 56 students sustained injuries in their frantic attempt to escape the darkness.
According to Rugaaju, Further investigations revealed that the violent strike had been premeditated, contradicting initial suspicions of a rebel attack.
Several students who had shown disinterest in participating had informed their parents a few days prior, requesting transportation funds to return home.
Rugaaju also told our reporter that the investigations indicate that some students harbored grievances against the school head teacher, Kenneth Mugimba, accusing him of mismanagement.
The injured students were promptly transported to Kihihi Health Center IV for medical treatment.
Rugaaju emphasized that ongoing security investigations aim to uncover the exact cause of the strike.
As a precautionary measure, the police have maintained a deployment in anticipation of potential further attacks.
Kenneth Mugimba, the school’s head teacher, offered a different perspective, attributing the strike to a group of disgruntled students unhappy with the suspension of their fellow student, identified only as Praise.
Praise had been found in possession of a mobile phone, which violated the school’s rules and regulations.
According to Mugimba, following his suspension, Praise claimed that he was being targeted due to political disputes, alleging that his lack of support for Patience Nkunda Kinshaba, the Kanungu District Woman Member of Parliament, had led to harassment.
