The school was buzzing with excitement as pupils prepared for Princess Royal Anne’s visit on Friday 28 October. The groups practiced songs, dances and poems in the school compound.

The children were filled with a sense of pride and excitement, knowing that they were preparing a special show for such a distinguished visitor. They were eager to show off their talents and share their stories with the world.

Wamunyokoli, who reveals it is the first time he has spoken in detail about the deaths, says Namulondo had a “sixth sense” about the death. Namulondo, along with 11 other students, died in the school fire described by police as arson.

As the world was devastated by the deaths of the 12 innocent souls, Namulondo, who was only nine years old at the time, felt her days were numbered.

Describing the strange moments, Wamunyokoli narrated Namulondo’s instincts about the tragic day that took his life and those of Cate Nandutu, Leticia Nakayima, Damalie Nalugwa, Peace Naluminsa, Patricia Mudondo, Pretty Pirotho, Veronica Nassali, Gladys Namugga and Kalamgne Shahme, Josephine Namuwonge.

Describing her as a great pianist and singer, Wamunyokoli says: “On the 22nd, three days before the tragedy, we had the old students’ party. I recorded her on my phone playing the piano while singing the hymn Katonda Onsembeze (Nearer, my God, to You) I later deleted it,” he says.

The famous hymn is believed to be the last song played by the band on the RMS Titanic before the ship sank.

“It still sounds foreboding. The way he sang and acted maybe he instinctively knew something was wrong. We just couldn’t read the signs,” he recalls.

Two years later, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Former school principal Francis Kinubbi has retired to private life in Kisoga. His position was filled by Dorothy Ssebadduka. The other two male teachers left, leaving Wamunyokoli the only permanent teacher to witness the tragedy.

The school, located on 37 acres of land surrounded by tea plantations and rural farms in Luga village, Ntenjeru sub-county, Mukono district, has been under the leadership of Ssebadduka since January 2023.

Prior to her appointment, Ssebadduka was the director of PS Kivuvu in Nama sub-county, Mukono district. Her passion for working with children with special needs stems from her childhood experiences visiting the physically challenged at the Good Samaritan Sisters/Bakateyamba in Nalukolongo.

As a special needs teacher, Ssebadduka watched the tragic events at Salama school on television.

“When I saw the news in the morning, I felt so bad,” she recalls. “I actually cried. I couldn’t understand why anyone would harm such innocent vulnerable children,” she says. Little did she know that she would soon be transferred to the school.

Ssebadduka initially resisted the transfer to the school after witnessing the mass burial on 2 November 2022.

“In fact, when the Mukono Principals Association mobilized us to visit the school on the day of mass when they brought the bodies, I refused to come. I didn’t want to see those bodies,” she admits. “The images I saw on TV were too much for me.”

However, after being convinced by the District Education Officer (DEO), she agreed to take on the challenging role.

“The DEO advised and guided me and asked me to be a mother to the children,” she recalls.

For seven months, she commuted daily to her home in Mukono to avoid staying at school.

A teacher’s story about tragedy

Wamunyokoli, a teacher at the school since 2018, vividly remembers the night of the fire.

“It was a terrible day,” he says. “We were eagerly preparing for Princess Anne’s visit, rehearsing songs and games. On October 23rd, the police conducted a security assessment. After we finished the evening preparations on October 24th, I went to the dormitory and reminded the students about the noise they made during their night prayers.”

Haunted by the thought that his intervention could have prevented the tragedy, Wamunyokoli recalls the night of the fire.

“Around midnight, I heard an alarm and rushed outside to find the home engulfed in flames,” he recounts. “I braved the fire and saved several children, but unfortunately the last girl I managed to save last, Damalie, succumbed to her injuries.”

Wamunyokoli was among the first to respond, along with Kinubbi and two herdsmen.

“Mr Kinubbi arrived at the scene wrapped in a towel to assist in the rescue. Since he was blind, he tried to touch wherever he could,” he recalls.

With the help of the school’s boda-boda rider, Paulo Sseruwu, Wamunyokoli transported the injured students to Herona Hospital in Kisoga town. Sseruwu, alerted by another rider who witnessed the fire, was devastated to learn that the first child he carried, Damalie, had died. However, she found solace in the fact that Annet, the next child she carried, survived.

“When we arrived at the scene, there was an ambulance, but the driver seemed hesitant to enter the area,” recounts Sseruwu. “We decided to transport the children to the hospital. The delay in transport may have contributed to Damalie’s tragic fate.”

The drop in the number of students at the school has had a significant impact on Sseruwu’s business as he now mainly transports the new principal and other sick children.

For Wamunyokoli, the trauma of the fire continues to haunt him.

“Sometimes I don’t want to listen to any conversation about that fire. I remember looking into the eye of hell. There are many questions that make you cry. I pretend to be strong, but inside I’m dying,” he said.

According to Wamunyokoli, the children had high ambitions. Namulondo dreamed of a career in music, while Gladys Namugga aspired to become a news anchor. Namawejje envisioned a future as a teacher or lawyer, fighting for justice.

“The team had just returned from the goalball championships in Masaka and Namugga and Patricia Mudondo were among the participants,” recalls Wamunyokoli. “When they died, I deleted all the videos and photos I had taken with them during our holidays. I was guiding them in so many ways.”

Damalie Naluggwa, 12, was the last to succumb to the fire two weeks later. Two students, Annet Namawejje and Blessing Namuyomba, both from Primary 2, are the only survivors who have returned to school.

While most parents chose not to send their children back to school, including PTA chairman Ernest Mwebesa, Namawejje’s mother Cissy Nalweyiso, who spent three months with her child in Kakubansiri village under Kabulassoke sub-county, Mpigi district, before he recovered, he says he had no choice. .

“I couldn’t keep her at home. I am only calling on the authorities to increase security. I want my daughter to excel in life,” she says.

Survivors suffered additional injuries from the fire. Namawejje, who had hydrocephalus, had a thin tube surgically placed to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid, but the fire that burned him caused another disability. Because Nalweyiso who is blind now has hearing loss.

The fire had a lasting impact on the school community, with the monument in the school building a constant reminder.

The school received counseling support from Christa, a former sponsor from the Netherlands, known locally as Namuddu. Unfortunately, Christa died in August of this year.

To help students recover, the school focused on music therapy. Students are taught songs and participate in musical and sports activities. The school recently won silver at the just concluded East African Games in Bukedea, finishing second behind Team Tanzania.

This year, the school participated in the national music and sports competitions in Mbale as a guest choir, scoring a total of 642, performing eight pieces.

Wamunyokoli formed a local football team in Luga to deal with the trauma.

Despite his best efforts, Wamunyokoli admits that the trauma of the fire still affects him.

“I think I’m over the worst of it, but there are times when people remind me of the tragedy,” he says.

As the school commemorates “Black Day” on Friday. A lot has changed in terms of infrastructure. Last year, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni commissioned the new school dormitory which was built by the MTN Foundation.

The school is now equipped with safety equipment such as fire detectors and fire extinguishers.

“We want to use that day to appeal to Ugandans for support. But you also send a message that people should stop burning down schools,” says Ssebadduka.

When I visited the Salama School for the Blind, the school had been without electricity for two weeks, rendering the security cameras inoperable. Ssebadduka explains that the school’s limited resources prevent them from constantly paying for electricity.

“The cameras rely on electricity, but they haven’t been working for two weeks because of the sold out YAKA units,” she says. “We urgently need a solar installation.”

The lack of security measures created a constant fear of another attack. The school remains unfenced and, despite assurances from the authorities, a promised police station has yet to be established. Ssebadduka’s efforts to improve school security, including meetings with high-ranking police officials, have been unsuccessful.

The financial situation of the school is precarious, with a high rate of non-payment of admission fees. About 90 percent of students cannot pay the full fee of Shs370,000 per term. Many of these children come from poor families or have been abandoned, making it difficult for the school to provide adequate support.

Established in April 1999 to serve visually impaired children and young adults, the school is in dire need of essential educational materials such as Braille paper (Shs 300,000 per frame) and slate (Shs 77,000) as well as food supplies.

As the world embraces technology more and more, there is a growing need for blind students to have access to orbital readers. These devices can enhance their learning experience and provide greater independence.

The school faces additional challenges in providing adequate medical care to its students. The absence of a dedicated orderly and nurse makes it difficult to deal with common illnesses such as flu, fever, cough, malaria and occasionally typhoid. To alleviate this problem, one of the teachers, Mrs. Anna Kedi Teopista, received first aid courses.

Fire safety is another priority for the school. Refilling 8kg fire extinguishers at a cost of Shs50,000 per extinguisher is a financial burden. In addition, smoke detectors often cause unnecessary panic among students, leading to dangerous situations such as jumping out of windows.