Police in Mukono Municipality are holding six Senior Four candidates from Bishop Senior School on charges of arson after allegedly setting a dormitory ablaze during a strike last week.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrests, saying the suspects were handed over by the school administration after internal investigations identified them as the ringleaders of the unrest.
“It is alleged that one week ago, students had staged a demonstration, and they set fire on the dormitory,” Onyango said. “After setting fire, the administration, staff, and students managed to extinguish the fire. They carried out their own investigation and got to know the ring leaders.”
He added that the suspects were allowed to complete their final examinations before being turned over to police.
“Because these students were in S.4 and were supposed to do exams, they did not want to interfere with their exams,” Onyango explained, adding: “They kept quiet and after their exams that’s when they reported to Mukono Police, and a case of arson has been opened pending thorough investigations.”
Preliminary findings indicate that the incident occurred on October 24, 2025, at around midnight, and was formally reported on October 28 by Najib Saiga, a teacher at the school.
The suspects have been identified as Muwanguzi Jabez Samuel, 18, of Hill View; Bukenya Ryan, 18, of Butebe Cell; Luminsa Alfred, 18, of Nabuuti Cell; Ntale Deogracious, 18, of Nakabago Cell; and Kibuuka Christopher, 19, of Seeta, all in Mukono District.
According to police sources, Saiga was alerted by the school electrician that one of the dormitories was on fire.
“The fire burnt many things among them 30 jerrycans of liquid soap, two office chairs, a hand mopper, seven school mattresses, six mattresses for fees defaulters, the warden’s three pairs of trousers, a wallet containing Shs25,000, one pair of canvass shoes, plus window and door glasses,” the source said.
The school head teacher, Robert Kyakulaga, declined to comment when contacted.
Police say investigations are ongoing to determine the motive behind the students’ actions and whether other individuals were involved in planning the incident.
If convicted, the students face serious charges under Uganda’s Penal Code Act for willful destruction of property.
The incident adds to a growing list of student unrest cases across Uganda in recent months, often linked to disciplinary actions, examination stress, or grievances against school administration.