Four pupils of Ta-Aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre in Kisaasi, Kampala, have died in a suspected poisoning incident, with a grieving mother later arriving at the school carrying the body of her daughter.
The incident has left parents devastated, especially after preliminary accounts pointed to an orange reportedly brought to school by one of the children.
According to the information available, the pupils had returned to school on Sunday following the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) short holiday. However, their return to school was followed by an incident that has now claimed four young lives.
Preliminary accounts allege that some of the children ate an orange brought to school by one of their fellow pupils. The circumstances surrounding the incident are still unclear, and the exact cause of death has not yet been established.
The situation became even more painful when a grieving mother arrived at TA-ALIIM Primary School with the body of her daughter, following reports of the deaths.
Meanwhile, another pupil is reportedly in critical condition, raising further concern among parents and those following the incident.
Some parents have also alleged that the school sent affected children home on boda bodas after their conditions deteriorated. These claims are yet to be independently established.
Earlier, parents had gathered at Mulago City Mortuary as they waited for postmortem examinations to establish what caused the deaths before the bodies could be released for burial.
The postmortem examinations are expected to provide more answers about what happened to the pupils and whether the suspected poisoning was linked to the orange mentioned in preliminary accounts.
For now, families are left mourning their children as the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain unclear.
Should the school be held accountable for what happened, or should parents wait for the postmortem findings before making conclusions?
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