Four girls died on Tuesday in a suspected Kampala school poisoning, Ugandan police said, and the school’s head teacher was arrested to assist the investigation.
The Kampala school poisoning case is under inquiry by police detectives, who have yet to say whether chemical or food poisoning was involved, according to reports by Daily Monitor and BBC News. Reports first appeared on Wednesday, so this article is a follow-up rather than a first report.
What happened in the Kampala school poisoning?
Police said preliminary findings indicated that at about 14:00 on Tuesday 10 November, four female pupils at Ta’aliim Primary School and Quran Memorisation Centre in Kampala died in circumstances suspected to be related to poisoning. A police spokesperson said detectives had begun comprehensive inquiries, according to the reports.
The school told reporters that eight pupils had eaten oranges shared by a fellow pupil, and that five of them, including the four who died, began vomiting. Police said detectives would visit the village where the oranges came from. These accounts come from the school and police and have not been independently verified, and no cause of death has been confirmed.
Post-mortem examinations are being carried out to determine how the children died. Reports differ on where the fourth girl died, with one naming a hospital in Kasangati and another saying she died while receiving emergency treatment.
Police have not given the ages of the girls or released their names, and the reports reviewed did not say how many pupils attend the school.
Why was the head teacher arrested?
Police said the head teacher was arrested to assist with the investigation. That is not a charge, and no one has been accused of causing the deaths. Police have not said whether he has been released, and no one has been named as a suspect.
The Uganda Police Force publishes statements on its website, and had not posted a full account in the material reviewed. The Ministry of Health had not published a statement on the case in the material reviewed.
Is this the first school poisoning in Uganda?
School food-safety incidents have been reported before. In Luuka district in eastern Uganda, Nile Post reported that a pupil died and eight were hospitalised after suspected food poisoning at Telik Junior School last year, and the Daily Monitor reported an arrest in a separate Luuka case. Those cases are not linked to the Kampala school poisoning, and the outcomes of the inquiries were not available.
DNE Africa reported on Kenya’s Ebola countdown this week, as the region monitors the outbreak in Congo.
What happens next?
The post-mortem results and any laboratory tests on the oranges and other food will determine whether the deaths were caused by food poisoning, a toxin or another cause. Police have not said when those results will be released, or whether the head teacher has been released on bond. The school’s status and the welfare of the other pupils who ate the oranges are also unclear.
FAQ
What is known about the Kampala school poisoning?
Four girls died on 10 November at a primary school in Kampala in circumstances police suspect are related to poisoning. The cause has not been confirmed.
Has anyone been charged over the Kampala school poisoning?
No charges have been reported. The head teacher was arrested to assist with the investigation, according to police.
What did the pupils eat?
The school said eight pupils ate oranges shared by a fellow pupil, and five became ill. Police said detectives would visit the village where the oranges came from.
How will the cause of death be established?
Post-mortem examinations are under way, and police are carrying out inquiries. Official results have not yet been published.
